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Reduced colonization of newborns with group B streptococci following washing of the birth canal with chlorhexidine

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Author

Summary, in English

Possible measures for prevention of neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) septicemia include active or passiv immunoprophylaxis and administration of penicillin to mothers and infants. In a previous study we have found GBS to be extremely sensitive to chlorhexidine. Furthermore vaginal washing with chlorhexidine diminished the recovery of GBS from parturients. In order to study the effect of chlorhexidine washing upon the colonization of newborns, a study group of chronic GBS carriers, i.e. women who were GBS positive in the 32-36 gestational week as well as during labor was selected. In 18 of these females chlorhexidine washing was performed prior to delivery while 33 chronic carriers served as controls. Screening during labor was performed in 945 consecutive patients. Cultures were collected from the external ear, throat and umbilicus of all infants within 5 minutes of birth and at day 4 of life. At birth 22% of the infants of the chlorhexidine washed mothers were colonized with GBS, in contrast to 52% of the infants from the chronic GBS carriers (p less than 0.05). The proportion of infants harboring GBS at day 4 were similar in the two groups (Tab. I). Among the 945 consecutively screened women, 164 harbored GBS and 54 (33%) of their 164 infants were colonized at birth. The colonization rate of the infants from chronic GBS carriers was significantly higher, 17 of 33 infants (p less than 0.05). This may reflect that the risk of contracting GBS by infants increases with the quantity of GBS in the birth channel.

Publishing year

1985

Language

English

Pages

239-243

Publication/Series

Journal of Perinatal Medicine

Volume

13

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

De Gruyter

Topic

  • Pediatrics

Status

Published

Research group

  • Child and Family Health

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1619-3997