Association between Ureaplasma urealyticum Colonization and Adverse Outcomes in Premature Infants

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:Present evidences suggest that Ureaplasma urealyticum is a cause of pneumonia, septicemia, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in newborn infants, particularly those born prematurely. The purpose of this work was to examine the relationship between Ureaplasma urealyticum in the tracheal aspirates and adverse outcomes, such as BPD and early onset neonatal sepsis in premature infants. METHODS:A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on tracheal aspirates collected within 24 hour after birth in 176 premature infants less than 35 weeks of gestation and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Bundang CHA Hospital. RESULTS:U. urealyticum was detected in 37 of 176 preterm infants (21.0%). Gestational age (29+5+/-2+5 wk vs. 30+6+/-2+5 wk, P=0.013) and birth weight (1.39+/-0.44 kg vs. 1.59+/-0.55 kg, P=0.037) were lower in the U. urealyticum-positive group compared to the control group. The incidence of early onset neonatal sepsis (16.2% vs. 6.5%, P=0.045) and BPD (45.9% vs. 29.5%, P=0.047) was higher in the U. urealyticum-positive group compared to the control group, but the severity of BPD was not different between two groups. However, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of U. urealyticum was not independently related to the development of early onset neonatal sepsis and BPD. CONCLUSION:The results suggest that colonization of the lower respiratory tract by U. urealyticum might not be related to the development of neonatal sepsis and BPD directly in preterm infants.