[Bacteroides fragilis. Maternal-placental and foetal contamination (author's transl)]

In order to study the maternal-placental and foetal contamination, cytologic study and aerobic-anaerobic cultures were performed on 1 000 placentae of infants who were referred to the Intensive Care Unit. Bacteroides were isolated from 30 specimens, and on smears, Gram negative bacteria were found on 11 of these cases. Only in 2 infants Bacteroides were isolated from blood, gastric aspirate and meconium; 20 infants were said to be infected on clinical and biological bases; eight were normal. Bacteroides infection is usually benign; the symptoms are not specific; the diagnosis is often delayed and the treatment uneasy. Nowadays, Carbenicillin, Ticarcilin, Cefoxin or Metronidazole are advised, according to the sensibility of the organism.