Maternal and neonatal colonization in Bangladesh: prevalences, etiologies and risk factors

Objective:to estimate the prevalence of maternal colonizers in south asia and their potential to colonize the umbilicus, an important precondition causing neonatal sepsis.study design:we conducted a cross-sectional study at a maternity center in dhaka with 1219 pregnant women and a subset of 152 newborns from 15 january to 31 october 2011. during labor, study paramedics collected vaginal swabs for bacterial culture and rectal swabs for group b streptococcus (gbs) testing. community health workers collected neonatal umbilical swabs. log-binomial regression models were used to estimate risk ratios.result:in all, 454 women (37.2%, 95% confidence interval (ci) 34.5 to 40.0%) were colonized. the most common organisms isolated were staphylococcus aureus, non-gbs and gbs. a total of 94 women (7.7%, 95% ci 6.2 to 9.2%) were colonized with gbs. the risk of gbs umbilical colonization was higher (rr=12.98, 95% ci 3.97 to 42.64) among newborns of mothers with gbs colonization.conclusion:newborns of mothers colonized with gbs are at higher risk of developing umbilical colonization.