Staphylococcus aureusin the milk of nursing mothers and the alimentary canal of their infants: A report to the Medical Research Council

Abstract

Investigations at two hospitals, P and S, showedStaphylococcus aureusto be commonly present in the milk of healthy nursing mothers and the throat and intestine of their babies. In hospital P, the proportion affected in a group of eighty-two mothers and their babies was over 90%. The condition may not be uncommon in maternity hospitals, but no information of its occurrence is available from private obstetrical practice. The cocci concerned seemed to be of low virulence, for babies swallowing relatively massive doses in their mothers' milk suffered no perceptible ill effect. On the other hand, the coccus was found in the pus of the only case of breast abscess encountered, and in some minor external pustular lesions. It was present in the milk of all the cases of flushed breast examined, but its causal connexion with this condition awaits proof.The staphylococci, in the majority of cases, seemed to occur first in the baby's throat, possibly from a focus of infection in the babies' ward, and to be transmitted from baby to baby and from baby to mother, with a return infection, in larger amount, through the mother's milk. The mother's nose and throat must be included amongst other, but less frequent, sources of the infection.The predominating type ofStaph. aureusgave a relatively strong coagulase reaction which was caused only by actively growing cocci, but it would seem that the reaction caused by this agency is less trustworthy as an index of virulence of the coccus than one in which free coagulase also operates.

The source of infection in Pemphigus neonatorum

“…This agreed with the findings of others (Duncan & Walker, 1942;Hobbs, 1944;Allison & Hobbs, 1947), who consider that the mother is not an important source of infection. Occasionally, spread from mother to infant undoubtedly does occur, and an example involving a different phage type of Staph.…”

“…It was the type most commonly isolated from nasal swabs, and was usually present in profuse pure culture. No attempt was made to assess the distribution of the organism in other parts of the body, but it is probable that it was very widespread (Duncan & Walker, 1942;Knott & Blaikley, 1944). In similar circumstances, Allison & Hobbs (1947) have shown that the epidemic type could be isolated from the infants' clothes and bedding.…”

Mammary microbiota of dairy ruminants: fact or fiction?

“…Bacterial colonization of the infant and breast is a normal process that takes place soon after birth. Both the mother’s milk ducts and the infant’s nasopharynx are colonized by a variety of organisms, some of them potentially pathogenic, such as Staphylococcus aureus [ 16 ].…”

Ursachen und Differenzialdiagnosen der peripartal geröteten Brust

“…Both the mother's milk ducts and the infant's nasopharynx are colonised by a variety of organisms, some of them potentially pathogenic, such as Staph. aureus (38). However, their presence does not by itself cause mastitis (38; 102; 183).…”