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Intestinal colonization patterns of staphylococci in preterm infants in relation to type of enteral feeding and

Veerle Cossey1, Chris Vanhole, Jan Verhaegen

  • 11 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospitals Leuven , Leuven, Belgium .

Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
|June 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Very low birth weight infants are heavy staphylococci gut carriers regardless of feeding type. The intestine plays a minor role in staphylococcal bloodstream infections in these vulnerable neonates.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Staphylococcal infections pose a significant threat to very low birth weight infants.
  • Understanding intestinal colonization is crucial for preventing bloodstream infections in neonates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate staphylococcal intestinal colonization in very low birth weight infants.
  • To determine the relationship between enteral feeding type and staphylococcal colonization.
  • To evaluate the intestine as a source of staphylococcal bacteremia.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective observational study of infants with gestational age <32 weeks or birth weight <1,500g.
  • Analysis of serial fecal specimens for staphylococcal counts in the first 8 weeks of life.
  • Comparison of fecal and blood staphylococcal isolates using antibiotypes or pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in cases of bloodstream infection.

Main Results:

  • 150 neonates showed heavy intestinal staphylococcal colonization (10^6-10^7 CFU/g) from the first week.
  • Colonization rates and patterns were similar across different enteral feeding types (preterm formula, mother's milk, raw, or pasteurized).
  • In 80% of staphylococcal bloodstream infections, the predominant intestinal strain differed from the blood isolate.

Conclusions:

  • Enteral feeding type does not influence staphylococcal gut predominance in very low birth weight infants.
  • The intestinal tract appears to play a limited role in the endogenous origin of staphylococcal bloodstream infections in this population.
Abstract

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