No abstract

We present a case of premature twins, born at 24 weeks of gestation. Both infants died of intraventricular hemorrhage, aged 1 and 3 days, respectively. Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated from brain tissue obtained at the autopsy of both infants. Our observations lend additional evidence of the role of U. urealyticum as a central nervous system pathogen in premature infants.

To clarify the association of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection with chronic lung disease of the newborn 145 preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation were examined. The infants were enrolled during two separate periods. The presence of U. urealyticum was studied by obtaining endotracheal culture samples and blood samples; if either of these samples grew the organism, the child was regarded as having U. urealyticum infection. Infection with U. urealyticum was detected in 33%, and chronic lung disease (defined as the need for oxygen, and typical chest radiograph at 28 days of age) in 43% of infants. The development of chronic lung disease was not associated with the presence of U. urealyticum. Our results suggest only a minor indirect role for U. urealyticum in the development of chronic lung disease of the newborn.

A cohort of 78 infants of gestational age less than 34 weeks was examined for Ureaplasma urealyticum colonization and neonatal morbidity. Ureaplasma urealyticum was cultured from nasopharyngeal, endotracheal and blood‐culture samples. A child was considered as being colonized if any sample was positive. The children with perinatal U. urealyticum colonization (n= 11; 14%) differed from those with no colonization (n= 67) in two important aspects: (i) they had higher leucocyte counts on the first (18.6 vs 12.4 109) and the second (29.0 vs 15.4 109) days of life (p= 0:01, both days); and (ii) they more often needed high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (45% vs 13%, p= 0:02). This study showed that U. urealyticum colonization is associated with signs of the host defence response together with symptoms of respiratory tract involvement suggesting the pathogenicity of U. urealyticum in premature infants.

A hydroptic newborn was born at 32 weeks' gestation and at the age of 14 h died of post-asphyxial syndrome. Immunologic causes of hydrops fetalis were excluded, as were anomalies and chromosomal aberrations. Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated in bronchial secretions, lung tissue and brain tissue of the newborn. Our findings suggest that U. urealyticum infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hydrops fetalis.