Bacterial flora in mothers and babies with reference to causative agent in neonatal septicemia.

One hundred newborns and their mothers were subjected to aerobic bacterial cultures and sensitivity study from different sites. Out of 36 clinically suspected neonatal septicemia cases, the blood culture was positive for bacterial growth in 24 neonates. The incidence of septicemia in PT-AGA, FT-AGA, FT-SFD and postterm-AGA babies was found to be 50.0, 13.5, 28.1 and 50.0%, respectively. The incidence of septicemia in LBW and FT-AGA babies was found to be 45.3 and 13.5%, respectively. The single major isolate in the positive blood culture was Staphylococcus aureus. In Gram positive septicemia the commonest site for colonization of the same organism in newborn was found to be umbilicus followed by nose, throat and external auditory canal, while in Gram negative septicemia rectum and umbilicus were the commonest sites.