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PEDIATRICS Vol. 106 No. 2 August 2000, p. e18

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE:
Bacterial Colonization of Toys in Neonatal Intensive Care Cots

Received Nov 17, 1999; accepted Feb 28, 2000.

Mark W. Davies*, Samuel Mehr*, Suzanne T. Garland, and FANZCOGddager ; and Colin J. Morley*

From the * Division of Neonatal Services, and the Dagger  Department of Microbiology, Division of Laboratory Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Objectives.  To investigate the bacteria and fungi contaminating toys in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) cots, the colonization rates, and factors that influence them.

Methods.  A cross-sectional, longitudinal bacteriologic survey of all toys in the cots of infants in an NICU. All the toys in an infant's cot were cultured weekly for 4 weeks. Data were collected on the infant's postnatal age, the type of cot, whether humidity was added, characteristics of the toy, and any infant infections.

Results.  Over the 4-week period, there were 86 cultures from 34 toys of 19 infants. Bacteria were grown from 84/86 (98%): 84 of the cultures grew coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, 50 Micrococcus sp, 21 Bacillus sp, 13 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 12 diphtheroids, 4 group B streptococcus, 3 S aureus, 3 nonhemolytic streptococci, 3 group D streptococci, 4 alpha -hemolytic streptococci, and 2 coliforms. None grew fungi. The colonization rate did not differ with cot type, presence of humidity, size of the toy, toy fiber length, or the fluffiness score. Eight (42%) of the infants had positive blood culture results and 5/8 of the isolates (63%) were of the same type as that colonizing their corresponding toy.

Implications.  With time, all the toys in NICU cots became colonized with bacteria. Many were potentially pathogenic. Toys may be reservoirs for potential infantile nosocomial sepsis. infant, newborn, toys, infection, neonatal intensive care. .




P3Rs:

Read all P3Rs

Bacterial colonization of toys in NICUs
HD Dellagrammaticas
Pediatrics Online, 22 Aug 2000 [Full text]
Bacterial colonization of toys
Colin Morley
Pediatrics Online, 29 Aug 2000 [Full text]