OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety of ingestion of breast milk-associated bacteria for premature infants, we investigated the rate of breast milk contamination and incidence of the infection in premature infants on breastfeeding. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for premature infants 28 weeks of gestation or more, who breast milk-fed and admitted at Ulsan University Hospital during 2004~2005. The results of bacterial culture in expressed breast milk, presence of infection (sepsis, urinary tract infection and necrotizing enterocolitis), and potential compounding variables were abstracted from medical records. The clinical characteristics of premature infants who ingested breast milk-associated bacteria were compared with the controls. RESULTS: Among 125 samples of breast milk for bacterial culture, 85 (68%) revealed the growth of bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis (56%), Bacillus spp. (3.2%), Klebsiella spp. (3.2%), Acinetobacter spp. (2.4%), Enterobacter cloaca (1.6%), etc. Among 64 infants breast milk-fed, 36 were revealed to have ingested breast milk-associated bacteria, and 28 were fed with clean breast milk. There were no differences in incidence of sepsis, urinary tract infection and necrotizing enterocolitis between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that breast milk feeding might be safe for premature infants even if it is contaminated with some of bacteria. A Larger scale of investigation is required in order to study further for this important topic.
Acinetobacter ; Bacillus ; Bacteria ; Breast Feeding ; Breast* ; Cloaca ; Colon* ; Eating ; Enterobacter ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Klebsiella ; Medical Records ; Milk, Human* ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Ulsan ; Urinary Tract Infections

The L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase gene (Gulo) encodes an essential enzyme in the synthesis of ascorbic acid from glucose. On the basis of previous findings of bone abnormalities in Gulo-/- mice under conditions of ascorbic acid insufficiency, we investigated the effect of ascorbic acid insufficiency on factors related to bone metabolism in Gulo-/- mice. Four groups of mice were raised for 4 weeks under differing conditions of ascorbic acid insufficiency, namely, wild type; ascorbic acid-sufficient Gulo-/- mice, 3-week ascorbic acid-insufficient Gulo-/- mice, and 4-week ascorbic acid-insufficient Gulo-/- mice. Four weeks of ascorbic acid insufficiency resulted in significant weight loss in Gulo-/- mice. Interestingly, average plasma osteocalcin levels were significantly decreased in Gulo-/- mice after 3 weeks of ascorbic acid insufficiency. In addition, the tibia weight in ascorbic acid-sufficient Gulo-/- mice was significantly higher than that in the other three groups. Moreover, significant decreases in trabecular bone volume near to the growth plate, as well as in trabecular bone attachment to the growth plate, were evident in 3- or 4-week ascorbic acid-insufficient Gulo-/-. In summary, ascorbic acid insufficiency in Gulo-/- mice results in severe defects in normal bone formation, which are closely related to a decrease in plasma osteocalcin levels.
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Down-Regulation* ; Glucose ; Growth Plate ; L-Gulonolactone Oxidase ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Osteocalcin* ; Osteogenesis* ; Plasma ; Tibia ; Weight Loss