[Neonatal infections by Streptococcus agalactiae].
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the study were to evaluate: 1) The incidence and characteristics of neonatal infections by S. agalactiae in the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona, 2) the efficiency of a microbiological control during the third quarter of pregnancy in order to detect colonization by this microorganism; and 3) the efficiency of intrapartum prophylaxis.


METHODS
Neonatal infections that took place between May 1991 and December 1994 have been studied. Children were born from women controlled in our hospital (7.772 pregnant women) or from women who delivered in other health centers.


RESULTS
Nineteen newborn children with an invasive infection and four asymptomatic bacteriemias were diagnosed and treated during the above mentioned period of time. Early forms of the illness were sepsis (eight cases), meningitis (four cases) and arthritis (one case), whereas late forms were comprised of four cases of meningitis and two of arthritis. Three of the neonates died (mortality rate of 15.7%) and two of them developed neurologic sequelae.


CONCLUSIONS
The microbiological control during pregnancy in order to detect S. agalactiae carriers, as well as intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis contributes to reduce the number of this sort of infections. Negative results of cultures carried out during the third quarter of pregnancy do not exclude a carrier state at delivery, therefore, so posterior controls are necessary until the end of pregnancy.
Juncosa Morros
T
T
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona.
Muñoz Almagro
C
C
Gené Giralt
A
A
Fortea Busquests
J
J
Latorre Otín
C
C
D001168:Arthritis / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification*
Infecciones neonatales por Streptococcus agalactiae.