Ureaplasma urealyticum colonization acid relationship to chronic pulmonarydisease in premature newborn infants younger than 32 weeks gestation.

Colonization of the respiratory tract of premature newborn infants by genit al mycoplasma is suspected to be associated with chronic lung disease. Methods and patients. - We prospectively determined the prevalence of genit al mycoplasma colonization with nasopharyngeal or endotracheal culture in p reterm neonates younger than 32 weeks gestation and its possible associatio n with the development of chronic lung disease in a prospective study. Results. - Fifty-nine infants were enrolled and 11 (19%) were colonized wit h Ureaplasma urealyticum. In the subgroup of 45 ventilated infants, seven o f seven U. urealylicum-positive infants developed chronic pulmonary disease versus ten of 38 (26%) of U. urealyticum-negative infants (relative risk [ RR] = 3.8; 95% confidence interval [Cl] 2.2 to 6.5, P < 0.001). U. urealyti cum-colonized infants had a lower median birth weight (760 vs 1,083 g, P = 0.04), a lower gestational age (26 vs 28 weeks, P = 0.03), and a higher inc idence of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (P = 0.03). These potential confounding factors may partially explain the association between U, urealy ticum and chronic pulmonary disease. However, this association remained sta tistically significant when the analysis was restricted to infants with bir th weight of 1,000 g or less (RR = 2.3; 95% Cl 1.3 to 4, P = 0.02) or to in fants with a patent ductus arteriosus (RR = 2; 95% Cl 1.3 to 3.1, P = 0.02) . Conclusion. - Colonization with U. urealyticum in ventilated preterm neonat es younger than 32 weeks gestation is a significant risk factor of developi ng chronic pulmonary disease. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.