Intestinal colonization with Enterobacteriaceae in Pakistani and Swedish hospital-delivered infants

Rectal cultures from Swedish and Pakistani hospital-delivered newborn infants were analysed regarding the early acquisition of enterobacteria. Swedish infants were delivered vaginally, Pakistani infants were delivered either vaginally or by caesarean section. The Swedish infants were all breast-fed, whereas breastfeeding was incomplete and often started late among the Pakistani infants. Both groups of Pakistani infants were more rapidly colonized with enterobacteria than were the Swedish infants. Cultures from Swedish infants seldom yielded more than one kind of enterobacteria; E. coli and Klebsiella were most frequently isolated. E. coli dominated in both Pakistani groups, but especially caesarean section delivered infants were in addition often colonized with Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter or Citrobacter species. Breastfeeding from the first day of life reduced colonization with Klebsiella/Enterobacter/Citrobacter. The results suggest that environmental exposure, delivery mode and early feeding habits all influence the early intestinal colonization with enterobacteria.