Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacterial Flora of the Maternal Cervix and Newborn Gastric Fluid and Conjunctiva: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed on cervical swabs from 35 mothers and their newborn infants' gastric aspirates and conjunctival sacs. Four hundred seventy-nine isolates were obtained; 287 were aerobes and 192 were anaerobes. The cervical and gastric cultures overall yielded a similar flora, but this was not always the case when one compared mothers with their own newborn infants. The conjunctival cultures yielded about half of the number of bacteria per specimen that the gastric contents yielded, and a repeat conjunctival culture done 48 hours later showed a marked reduction in the number of potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated. The predominant aerobes isolated were Staphylococcus epidermidis, diphtheroids, viridans streptococci and Haemophilus vaginalis. The predominant anaerobes were the Bacteroides fragilis group, Propionibacterium acnes, Peptococcus, other Bacteroides and Peptostreptococcus organisms. Statistical analysis revealed significant positive correlation between the isolation of certain groups of organisms and increased duration of pregnancy, increased baby's weight, and prolonged duration of labor.