Incidence of neonatal bacterial infection in cases of prolonged rupture of amniotic membrane.

Thirty cases of premature rupture of amniotic membrane were studied bacteriologically. Twenty cases showed growth of organisms from one or more sites at birth. From 20 control cases no pathogenic organism could be isolated. Out of these 20 cases showing growth of organisms 8 neonates developed clinical infection (deep and superficial) subsequently. The organisms grown from vaginal swab and umbilical swab culture showed maximum correlation to the organism from the infected neonates. Esch coli was found to be most common organism causing infections, next to it was Staph aureus. Growth of anaerobic organisms was found only in cases of prolonged rupture of membrane in mother, but not isolated from infected babies. So bacteriological studies of vaginal, placental, umbilical and nasal swabs and cord blood just after the birth of baby may be of some help in predicting the onset of neonatal infection.