These superbugs were most likely transmitted from mothers or the hospital environment to the newborns
A new study has confirmed the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in newborn babies within a few hours of being born.
The study found the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in the microbiota or the gut microbes of these newborn babies.
The study, Published in the journal Nature Microbiology, confirms that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) may be far more widespread in clinical conditions than was previously reported.
These superbugs were most likely transmitted from mothers or the hospital environment to the newborns. So, what is AMR and why is it dangerous? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them.
The 7-year-long study is an international effort to investigate AMR’s effects on neonatal morbidity, particularly sepsis. The new study has found examples of sepsis-causing resistant bacteria in newborns in India and other south Asian and African countries.
Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection and is a primary cause of mortality in newborns, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. Over 550,000 neonatal deaths are reported every year due to infections.
Researchers from Cardiff University and Ineos Oxford Institute looked at the presence of ARGs in gut microbiota of mothers and their babies from hospitals in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, and South Africa.
The collection of microbes present in the human gut The analysts looked at the water, sanitation, hygiene, and prior infections to understand the risk factors and isolated 1,072 types of bacteria. A majority of them were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli (E coli) and Enterobacter cloacae.
For instance, 18.5 per cent of the sample were positive for blaNDM, a gene that encodes New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamese which protects the bacteria from b lactam antibiotics.
These types of antibiotics include carbenicillin, penicillin G, ticarcillin, ampicillin, nafcillin, cloxacillin, mezlocillin, oxacillin, and piperacillin. Further analysis proved that a large number of samples carried genes linked to antibiotic resistance and were found in newborns within hours of birth, likely transmitted through the mothers or the clinical environment.
The study showed that a better understanding of ARG transmission is essential to preventing neonatal sepsis. It also emphasises the importance of access to safe water, sanitation and good hygiene in clinical conditions.
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