title: Acquired Oral Microflora of Newborns During the First 48 Hours of Life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the oral microflora of a newborn during first hours after birth and after two days, and determine whether the newborn acquires his mother's microflora during this period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Saliva samples were taken from 50 newborns, on their first day of life, two days after, and from their mothers. Those samples were checked for total aerobic cultivated bacteria and mutans streptococci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Soon after birth, most newborns lacked any of the tested microorganisms in their oral cavity. Two days later, oral microorganisms were detected. A significant correlation was found between the total aerobic cultivated bacteria counts of the mothers, and of their newborns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be assumed, that on the first 48 hours of life, the newborn gains a major part of his oral microflora from his mother. These results might shade light on a possible to control and change the acquired microflora, at the very beginning of a human's life, creating a new, but less cariogenic flora. An accurate protocol should be examine to avoid this initial transmission during these days, while the mother and her newborn are still in the hospital, and thus might be possible to reduce caries prevalence in the future.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mankuta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: mutans streptococci; newborn; oral microflora; total aerobic cultivated bacteria