Bacteriological nasal flora in newborns indicating health and/or development of infection

Abstract

During delivery, a fetus otherwise sterile during the intrauterine life, comes in contact with bacterial flora of the mother's birth canal, and then also with the ward personnel's skin and respiratory system flora. Due to the absence of competitive bacteriological flora, the nasal cavity is gradually colonized by microorganisms, especially those with a capacity of adhesion to epithelial cells of respiratory nasal mucosa. Bacteriological flora of the newborn's nasal flora was observed on days 1 and 3 postpartum, in an attempt to determine whether a finding of pathogenic bacterial flora in newborn's nasal mucosa indicates a localized infection only or points to the possible development of generalized infection. Bacteriological nasal flora was monitored in infants born by spontaneous delivery and in those born by cesarean section. In mothers of infants born by spontaneous delivery, bacteriological flora from the cervix uteri was investigated. Results of the study performed by usual methods revealed Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus to prevail in the pathogenic flora. Gram-negative microorganisms were found to be good indicators of local infection of newborn's nasal mucosa, regardless of the absence of clinical symptoms.