KoNS

The principal objective is to characterize coagulase-negative staphylococci from breast milk of mothers of preterm neonates in terms of resistance, virulence and role in colonization of gastrointestinal tract of neonates. Prospective study is carried out in pediatric intensive care units of Tallinn Children's Hospital and Tartu University Clinics. During the first four weeks of life, stool and skin samples from neonates and breast milk from mothers are collected once a week. Study population consists of three groups: 40 very preterm neonates (gestational age <32 weeks) and their mothers, 10 late-preterm neonates (GA 32-26 weeks) and their mothers, 20 healthy full-term neonates and their mothers.