Perinatal bacterial flora of the vagina and its adjacent regions at the source of neonatal infections

Abstract

The source of neonatal infection was studied by investgating the bacterial flora of the vagina, perianal region, and urethral meatus in 394 pregnant women and also by cultivating the gastric aspirates of 124 neonates immediately after delivery.Bacterial study of the vagina was positive in 75.6% of pregnant women, and in 66.2% of parturient women with normal repture of membrances. Bacterial cultivation of the gastric aspirate in neonates, immediately after delivary, was positive in 73.5%. Repeated bacterial study of the vaginal flora in the same subjects revealed a wide variation of the result. For example, group B Streptococcus was always observed in some cases, while in others it was only sporadically found. Similar results were observed in the study of detecting Bacteroids in the vatina and F. meningosepticum in the perianal region and in the urethral meatus. Simultaneous bacterial studies of the vagina, perianal region, and urethral meatus in the same subjects frequently revealed positive findings in the perianal region and urethral meatus, but with negative study in the vagina.The bacterial isolated from the gastric aspirates of neonates with normal rupture of membranes showed a distribution of bacterial incidences, which was most similar to that of perianal flora in pregnant women.Therefore, it seems to be mandatory to screen not only the vagina but also the perianal and urethral regions for prophylactic bacterial study against neonatal infection.Also, more than one bacterial study should be repeated, because only one study might not reflect the bacterial flora sufficiently.