Volume 15, Number 12—December 2009
Letter
Parachlamydia and Rhabdochlamydia in Premature Neonates
Frédéric Lamoth, Sébastien Aeby, Antoine Schneider, Katia Jaton-Ogay, Bernard Vaudaux, and Gilbert Greub
Table
Characteristics of 29 newborns with positive PCR results for Parachlamydia acanthamoebae or Rhabdochlamydia spp. and controls*
| Characteristics | Positive PCR result, n = 12 | Negative PCR result, n = 17 | p value† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, M/F | 8 (67)/4 (33) | 6 (35)/11 (65) | 0.14 |
| Gestational age at birth, wk, median (range) | 27 (24–36) | 30 (25–41) | 0.16 |
| Weight <10th percentile | 4 (33) | 4 (24) | 0.68 |
| Height <10th percentile |
3 (25) |
6 (35) |
0.69 |
| Primary adaptation | |||
| First Apgar score (1 min), median (range) | 2.5 (0–7) | 8 (2–9) | 0.0017 |
| First 3 Apgar scores,‡ median (range) | 18.5 (8–27) | 27 (17–29) | 0.0023 |
| Cardiac massage in first 48 h | 6 (50) | 0 (0) | 0.002 |
| Endotracheal intubation in first 48 h |
11 (92) |
8 (47) |
0.019 |
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 11 (92) | 14 (82) | 0.62 |
| Hyaline membranes disease | 9 (75) | 8 (47) | 0.25 |
| Bradypneic syndrome | 7 (58) | 11 (65) | 1.00 |
| Bronchopulmonary dysplasia | 8 (67) | 9 (53) | 0.70 |
| Amniotic fluid aspiration | 1 (8) | 3 (18) | 0.62 |
| Invasive mechanical ventilation, d, median (range) | 12 (2–50) | 3 (0–14) | 0.005 |
| Endotracheal intubation during hospital stay |
12 (100) |
11 (65) |
0.028 |
| Infectious complications | |||
| Lung infection | 5 (42) | 7 (41) | 1.00 |
| Other systemic infection |
7 (58) |
5 (29) |
0.15 |
| Other complications | |||
| Intraventricular hemorrhage | 4 (33) | 6 (35) | 1.00 |
| Persistent artery canal | 7 (58) | 6 (35) | 0.27 |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis | 2 (17) | 1 (6) | 0.55 |
| Congenital malformations |
1 (8) |
1 (6) |
1.00 |
| Hospitalization | |||
| Stay in neonatology ward, d,§ median (range) | 113.5 (9–435) | 48 (7–131) | 0.003 |
| Death |
3 (25) |
0 (0) |
0.06 |
| Pregnancy | |||
| Premature membranes rupture | 5 (42) | 6 (35) | 1.00 |
| Placental detachment | 2 (17) | 1 (6) | 0.55 |
| Preeclampsia | 4 (33) | 2 (12) | 0.20 |
| Systemic infection | 7 (58) | 9 (53) | 1.00 |
| Cesarean delivery | 9 (75) | 10 (59) | 0.45 |
*Results are given as no. (%) except as indicated.
†Fisher exact test and nonparametric Mann-Whitney rank sum test were used for the analysis of proportions and continuous variables, respectively.
‡Sum of the 3 scores at 1, 5, and 10 min after birth.
§If survived.
