The perinatal infective environment and infants of very low birth weight.

Evidence of an infective environment was frequently found in infants weighing less than 1 500 g at birth. Bacterial cultures from multiple sites bore no correlation to pus cells in the gastric aspirate or to placental histology. Positive cultures of ear swabs correlated with mortality, as did placental infection. The presence of pus cells in the gastric aspirate was related to histological evidence of placental infection. The duration or rupture of membranes and the serum IgM levels were not significantly associated with other findings.