Plasmid profiling of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, and bifidobacteria to study the transmission of bacteria from mother to infant.

Plasmid profiles of isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, and bifidobacteria cultured from vaginal, oral, and rectal swabs collected from women soon after admission to a maternity hospital were compared with those of strains detected in the feces of their infants. Lactobacilli inhabiting the vaginas of the mothers did not appear to colonize the infant digestive tract, but evidence for the transmission of fecal isolates of the Enterobacteriaceae and bifidobacteria from mother to infant was obtained in four out of five cases. Many of the bifidobacteria isolated were plasmid-free but could be distinguished with biochemical profiles.