Gut bacteria can lead to severe infections in preterm babies

A research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis has found that the preterm babies’ guts infectious microbes can cause late onset sepsis. The premature babies’ survival rate is increasing in big numbers. But these early birds are more exposed to the complications and might suffer from late-onset sepsis. This is a life-threatening bloodstream infection that can lead to severe consequences. The research is published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Further study suggests strategies from detectecting and preventing severe bloodstream infections. These strategies work on the improving gut to improve survival rate. The lead author Phillip I. Tarr, MD, the Melvin E. Carnahan Professor of Pediatrics explains, “There is a tremendous emphasis in intensive-care units throughout the world on stopping infections related to the insertion of IVs, catheters or other tubes, but that leaves a sizable subset of people who get bloodstream infections from germs that don't necessarily reside on the skin.”