title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization among women admitted for preterm delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection is associated with morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between preterm maternal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization and subsequent colonization and infection in premature neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective cohort study of 422 women admitted for preterm delivery. Methicillin-resistant S aureus cultures were collected from mothers and their neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. We determined the proportion of women and neonates colonized with methicillin-resistant S aureus and examined possible factors associated with colonization and infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen of 422 (3.6%) women were found to be colonized with methicillin-resistant S aureus. Thirteen of 212 (6.1%) neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit were methicillin-resistant S aureus colonized and 3 of 13 (23.1%) developed a methicillin-resistant S aureus infection. We identified 1 methicillin-resistant S aureus colonized maternal-neonatal pair. The infant became methicillin-resistant S aureus positive 30 days after admission and did not develop a methicillin-resistant S aureus infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that maternal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization is not a significant risk factor for vertical transmission of neonatal methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Gweneth B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Lazenby
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Soper
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Beardsley
authors.forename: Cassandra D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Salgado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D055815:Young Adult