title: Transmission of mother's microflora to the newborn at birth.
abstract: Our aim was to study the initial microbial colonization of the newborns by comparing it with their mothers' vaginal microflora. Nineteen mother-newborn pairs were examined at delivery. We found a close association, both qualitative and quantitative, between the individually different microflora of a mother's vagina and that of her newborn. The degree of contamination of the newborn significantly correlated with the counts of microorganisms found in the vagina of mothers. In 85% of investigated individual mother-newborn pairs we revealed similar predominant microorganisms. There were no cases of the mothers and their newborns harbouring similar potentially pathogenic prevailing microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mändar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikelsaar
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*