INFECTION WITH UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM AND MYCOPLASMA-HOMINIS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC LUNG-DISEASE IN PRETERM INFANTS

In a prospective cohort study in a tertiary referral neonatal intensiv e care unit, the endotracheal secretions of 40 consecutively intubated newborn infants, less than 31 weeks' gestation, were examined weekly for the genital mycoplasmas and all other common bacterial pathogens. Fifteen (37%) infants were positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum and/or Mycoplasma hominis. There were no differences in gestation, birthweigh t, use of surfactant, or time on ventilator between the culture-positi ve and negative babies. Thirteen (87%) of the culture-positive group d eveloped chronic lung disease (CLD) compared with 11 (41%) of the nega tive group (p = 0.0196). Of those culture-positive, 37% were not ident ified on the first specimen taken at the time of admission. These data suggest a significant association between infection with the urogenit al mycoplasmas and CLD and also stress the need for repeated cultures to identify these organisms.