Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T15:48:30.876Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The development of bacterial flora of premature neonates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

V. O. Rotimi ,
S. A. Olowe  and
I. Ahmed
V. O. Rotimi
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology
S. A. Olowe
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
I. Ahmed
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The sequential acquisition of bacterial flora by premature neonates was studied during a 10 month period. Mean gestational age of the babies was 29·01 weeks and the mean birth weight was 1·728 kg. Escherichia coli and group B streptococci (GBS) colonized the umbilicus of 7 and 6 babies respectively, out of 23 studied, on the first day of life. E. coli and staphylococci were the predominant flora on the 6th day and they colonized 12 and 13 respectively. The oral flora was predominantly Gram-positive cocci, mainly Streptoccocus salivarius which was isolated from 17 out of 22 babies on the 6th day, viridians streptococci were isolated from 14 babies, Staphylococcus albus from 16 babies and group D streptococci from 11 babies. Candida spp. also colonized the oral cavities of 17 out of 22 babies on the 6th day. At the end of the first week of life, the faecal flora was predominantly anaerobic represented by Bifidobacteriurn spp., Bacterioides spp. and Clostridium spp. The commonest facultative faecal flora were E. coli, which was isolated from all the babies, and Strept. faecalis isolated from 20 babies. Early gut colonization by GBS, Bacteroides spp. and Clostridium spp. was noticed in more babies delivered vaginally than by caesarean section where colonization by these bacteria was relatively delayed. The use of prophylactic penicillin plus gentamicin in the special neonatal unit probably prevented systemic spread of any of the potential opportunistic pathogens during the study.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 94 , Issue 3 , June 1985 , pp. 309 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

References

REFERENCES

Albert, M. J., Bhat, M., Rajan, D., Maiya, P. P., Pereira, S. M. & Baker, S. J. (1978). Faecal flora of South Indian infants and young children in health and with acute gastroenteritis. Journal of Medical Microbiology 11, 137–143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beerens, H., Romond, C. & Neut, C. (1980). Influence of breast-feeding on the bifid flora of the newborn intestine. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2434–2439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berg, R. D. (1980). Mechanisms confining indigenous bacteria to the gastrointestinal tract. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2472–2484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blakey, J. L., Lubitz, L., Barnes, G. L., Bishop, R. F., Campbell, N. T. & Gillam, G. L. (1982). Development of gut colonisation in pre-term neonates. Journal of Medical Microbiology 15, 519–529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bullen, C. L., Tearle, P. V. & Willis, A. T. (1976). Bifidobacteria in the intestinal tract of infants: an in vivo study. Journal of Medical Microbioloy 3, 338–342.Google Scholar
Cotton, H. R. & Goldberger, G. (1979). Ontogency of serum complement proteins. Pediatrics 64, 775–780.Google Scholar
Cowan, S. T. (1974). In Cowan and Steel's Manual for the Identification of Medical Bacteria, 2nd ed.London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Duerden, B. I., Collee, J. G., Brown, R., Deacon, A. G. & Holbrook, W. P. (1980). A scheme for the identification of clinical isolates of Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli by conventional bacteriological tests. Journal of Medical Microbiology 13, 231–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
George, W. L., Sutter, V. L., Citron, D. & Finegold, S. M. (1979). Selective and differential medium for isolation of Clostridium difficile. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 9, 214–219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hentges, D. J. (1980). Does diet influence human faecal microflora composition? Nutrition Reviews 38, 329–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holbrook, W. P., Ogston, S. A. & Ross, R. W. (1978). A method for the isolation of Bacteroides melaninogenicus from the human mouth. Journal of Medical Microbiology 11, 203–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laurenti, F., Fero, R., Marzeth, G., Rossini, M. & Bucci, G. (1980). Neutrophil chemotaxis in preterm infants with infections. Journal of Paediatrics 96, 468–470.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lay, K. M. & Russell, C. (1972). Longitudinal study of the prevalence of Candida species in the mouth of infants. Journal of Denial Research 51, 1237.Google Scholar
Long, S. S. & Swenson, R. M. (1977). Development of anaerobic faecal flora in healthy newborn infants. Journal of Pediatrics 91, 298–302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCarthy, C., Snyder, M. L., & Parker, R. B. (1965). The indigenous oral flora of man. I. The newborn to the one-year-old infant. Archives of Oral Biology 10, 61–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mata, L. J. & Urrutia, J. J. (1971). Intestinal colonisation of breast-fed children in a rural area of low socio-economic level. Annals of the New Yorlc Academy of Sciences 176, 93–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mata, L. J., Mejicanos, M. L. & Jimenez, F. (1972). Studies on the indigenous gastro-intestinal flora of Guatemalan children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 25, 1380–1387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, M. E. (1979). Phagocyte function in the neonate. Selected aspects. Pediatrics 64 709–712.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parker, M. T. (1977). Neonatal streptococcal infections. Postgraduate Medical Journal 53 598–606.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quie, P. G. & Mills, E. L. (1979). Bactericidal and metabolic function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Pediatrics 64, 719–721.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid, T. M. S. (1975). Emergence of group B streptococci in obstetric and perinatal infections. British Medical Journal 1, 533–535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rotimi, V. O. & Duerden, B. I. (1981 a). The development of the bacterial flora in normal neonates. Journal of Medical Microbiology 14, 51–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rotimi, V. O. & Duerden, B. I. (1981 b). Bacteroides species in the normal neonatal faecal flora. Journal of Hygiene 87, 299–304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rotimi, V. O. & Duerden, B. I. (1982). The bacterial flora of neonates with congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Hygiene 88, 69–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rotimi, V. O., Faulkner, Julia & Duerden, B. I. (1980). Rapid methods for the identification of clinical isolates of Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli. Medical Laboratory Sciences 37, 331–339.Google ScholarPubMed
Shahani, K. M. & Ayebo, A. D. (1980). Role of dietary lactobacilli in gastrointestinal microecology. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2448–2457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Socransky, S. S. & Manganiello, S. D. (1971). The oral microbiota of man from birth to senility. Journal of Periodontology 42, 485–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willis, A. T. (1977). Anaerobic Bacteriology, 3rd ed.London: Butterworth.Google Scholar
Willis, A. T., Bullen, C., Williams, J., Fagg, C. C., Bourne, A. & Vignono, M. (1973). Breast milk substitute: a bacteriological study. British Medical Journal 4, 67—72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed