Neonatal Bacteriology

    Only minutes old, babies of normal term contain meconium that is loaded with zillions of bacterial cells of a small number of species. How the bacteria get there is a mystery.

    But what about other aspects of the birth environment - the amnionic fluid in which the fetus has floated? Does it also contain the same bacteria as in the meconium? If so, why doesn't the mother suffer a septic birth? if not, how does the fetus so completely separate the meconium from the surrounding fluids?

    And then there are the oral bacteria, and also the skin bacteria. Does the baby pop into the world already protected with the normal lactic acid bacteria in place, or does the baby depend on Mama's kisses and fondling to inoculate its little body?

What's there to do?

    Classmate Veronica willl be providing herself and her newly born daughter for the various procedures.

1. Meconium - this is provided by capturing the sleeve of the rectal thermometer, which is used to measure the newborn's starting temperature immediately after the little girl takes her first breaths. Fifteen minutes later, another temperature is taken to be sure the baby is able to hold her own temperature. The sleeves are normally just trashed. Not this one! It goes directly into a ziplok bag to be cultured minutes later.

2. Similarly, swabbings will be taken of the baby's mouth and

3. slimy skin. (Note: sure, a few environmental bacteria will waft in, but if the first cultures contain vast amounts of bacterial growth, you will know it was there prior to birth.)

    In order to get the above, Veronica will have to tell her obstetrican that she wants this done, and that perhaps a couple of your student nurses can attend the birth - all prepared with the right equipment.

    Once the cultures have been taken, the class will begin their analyses.