Chlorhexidine for prevention of neonatal colonization with group B streptococci. III. Effect of vaginal washing with chlorhexidine before rupture of the membranes.
A single vaginal washing with 2 g/l of chlorhexidine was performed before rupture of the membranes in 19 parturients who were urogenital carriers of group B streptococci (GBS). Two (11%) of the infants became colonized immediately after birth, in contrast to 16 of 41 (39%) infants to controls (P = 0.02). A significant reduction of GBS colonization of the ear (P = 0.02) and umbilicus (P = 0.01) was noted. Taken together, 2 of 57 (4%) cultures obtained at birth were positive in the chlorhexidine group, in contrast to 30 of 123 (24%) among the controls (P less than 0.01). These findings raise hope for the design of a simple washing procedure which might prevent serious infections in the early neonatal period with GBS but also with other chlorhexidine-sensitive organisms.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000635:transmission; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*
D002710:Chlorhexidine