ALMOST 250 babies are to be screened for TB after a Kent midwife was found to have the disease.

The parents of 246 babies born between January 2002 and February this year have been contacted ny Medway health chiefs and asked to bring their child for screening and vaccination.

The community midwife at the centre of the scare was involved in the care and delivery of all these babies.

At a press briefing at Medway Maritime Hospital, Dr Mathi Chandrakumar, clinical director of the Kent Health Protection Unit, and Dr Ian O'Brien, consultant physician for Medway NHS Trust, said there was "no cause for alarm".

They stressed that the risk of infection was "very low" and screening and vaccination of the babies "a precaution".

The midwife, who has not been named, s responding well to treatment and is on sick leave. She will not be allowed back to work until doctors say she is free of TB infection.

Dr Chandrakumar said: "We were notified that this midwife had TB of the lungs but fortunately the type of TB she has, the infection she has, is of low infectivity. I will be very surprised if we do find any case of infection when we screen the babies.

"However, babies are more vulnerable than adults and as a precaution we felt we should offer screening and vaccination to the babies. We have set up a help-line to answer any concerns which mothers have and we are offering them advice and guidance."

Letters went out to every mother concerned by first class post on Monday, offering dates next week and in the near future to have their babies screened. Family doctors are being informed.

The helpline number, staffed by qualified NHS Direct personnel is already operating on 0845 46 47.