[Quantitative study of aerobic and anaerobic fecal flora in necrotizing enterocolitis of the newborn infant].

A quantitative study of the fecal flora was carried out in 21 neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), (4 infants being born at term) and 57 control infants (30 born at term and 27 born before term). In the population as a whole Klebsiella was detected more frequently in NEC than in the controls. This was especially true in premature infants where Klebsiella was found in 65% of the affected infants versus 33% of the controls (p less than 0,05), while no Klebsiella was detected in the 4 term infants with NEC and in 87% of the term controls. These data suggest that Klebsiella could play a role in the pathogenesis of NEC, especially in the premature infant. Therefore, it seems required to avoid the artificial selection of Klebsiella in the neonate.