Prevalence of MRSA colonization in peripartum mothers and their newborn infants.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cultures were obtained from 288 mother-infant pairs. A questionnaire given to mothers and medical record review assessed risk factors for colonization. Only 2.1% of mothers and 0.7% of infants carried MRSA. There were no identical MRSA mother-newborn pairs. MRSA colonization by expectant mothers is uncommon and transmission to newborns from vaginal delivery did not occur.