1 Department of Pediatrics, Morristown Memorial Hospital, 100 Madison Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960
We would like to mention an alternative method for the prevention of colonization of the umbilicus by staphylococcal organisms to the one proposed by Johnson et al. (Pediatrics 58:354, September 1976).
Several years ago, as a response to recommendations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discontinue routine total bathing of newborns with hexachlorophene, we studied alternative methods for the care of newborn infants. Despite the use of plain or green soap for infant bathing and scrupulous attention to hand washing with hexachlorophene by nursery personnel, an increased incidence of staphylococcal colonization and infection was seen in our nursery.