Rita P. Verma
Objective: In this study the immediate postnatal rectal (RC) and nasopharyngeal colonization (NPC), and their implications in the early onset morbidities in term infants were investigated.
Study design: In a retrospective cohort single center study, nasopharyngeal (NPCx) and rectal (RCx) microbial cultures were obtained within 20 minutes of birth in mild to moderately sick term infants. The clinical implications of the colonization in neonatal clinical course and outcomes were analyzed via multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: A total of154 term infants were admitted for respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, maternalchorioamnionitis (CHO) and suspected neonatal sepsis, out of which80(52%) were NPCx-positive.
Conclusion: Early postnatal NP and rectal colonization decrease the occurrence and severity of respiratory morbidities but not independent of con-current clinical conditions in term neonates suffering from mild to moderate morbidities. NPC is supported by ROM and declines by maternal GBS colonization, while CS decreases RC.
