This study was conducted to evaluate the difference of staphylococcal colonization between lactating mothers and nursery staffs.
Samples were obtained from the hands and noses of the newborn(admitted to S Univ.hospital´s nursery from 1991. 5. 23 to 6. 8), their mothers and nursery staffs. They were cultured, and then the presence/absence of pathogenic staphylococci in them were analyzed by Fisher exact probability test which led to these conclusion of significance as follows:
1. No differences were detected in pathogen rate of nasal swab culture between breast-fed newborns and formula-fed ones.
2. Delivery type and hospitalization the ones from the brest-fed newborns show high rate of Sta. aureus coa(+). In case of either C-sec delivery or long (more than 4 days) hospitalization, formula-fed ones in case of NSVD or short (less than 3 days) hospitalization.
3. The ones from breast feeding mothers show higher sta. aureus coa(+) than those from nursery staffs, which was of no significance statistically. Considering nursery staffs only, however, the comparison of those with the data in April indicates that the pathogen rate is higher for hand than nose, and Sta aureus coa(+) for hand is far lower in June than in April, which was statistically significant.
These results lead us to infer that newborn infection in hospitalization could be largely reduced by maintaining the ordinary hygienes. Such as the handwashing of mothers as well as nursery staffs (directly involved in newborn care)
Thus the pre-enterance hand washing of a mother who visits the nursery only for breast feeding (without any other medical responsibility) should be done, like other medical agents, with 0.05% chlorhexidine antiseptics rather than simple soap cleansing ; the one that is worth emphasizing thoroughly.
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