title: Maternal and neonatal colonization in Bangladesh: prevalences, etiologies and risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of maternal colonizers in South Asia and their potential to colonize the umbilicus, an important precondition causing neonatal sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Newborns of mothers colonized with GBS are at higher risk of developing umbilical colonization.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Modak
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Baqui
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Saha
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014472:Umbilicus / Q000382:microbiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*