A neonatal ICU. Credit: A. Gangadharan
New mothers can transmit antibiotic resistance genes to the gut bacteria of their newborns, researchers have found1. This may happen during or after labour, via the mother’s vaginal or gut bacteria, potentially leading to neonatal sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to infection and its incidence among young babies is higher in countries with low or middle incomes, which often lack the resources to prevent, identify and treat infections.
Scientists analysed more than 18,000 rectal swabs from mothers and their infants to identify markers for antibiotic resistance genes in the gut bacteria, such as beta-lactamases and carbapenemases.
The team, which included researchers at the ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, pinpointed 57 species of bacteria that developed resistance to most of the antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance profiles showed that bacteria with carbapenemase genes resisted antibiotics such as amoxicillin, imipenem and ertapenem.
The dominant species that harboured antibiotic resistance genes were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter cloacae. The bacteria were transmitted from one newborn to another, or from mother to baby. Infants who had sepsis carried higher rates of antibiotic resistance genes during the first two weeks after birth.
The prevalence of all the genes was higher in mothers and babies from south Asian countries compared with African countries. The researchers say poor hand hygiene, antibiotic use and previous infection probably aided transmission of antibiotic resistance genes via gut bacteria.
The researchers say their results could help to improve infection control strategies in low- and middle-income countries and reduce the burden of such genes in mothers and newborns.
