Loss of cutaneous microbial diversity during first three weeks of life in very low birth weight infants

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis (NS) is a frequent problem in neonatal intensive care, especially in preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. The objective of the study was to characterize the cutaneous bacterial microbiome in VLBW infants treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Non-invasive skin microbiome specimens were taken repeatedly from 12 VLBW infants during treatment in NICU starting on the first day of life. All infants received benzylpenicillin and netilmicin during the first 1-5 postnatal days. Samples were also collected from incubators. High cutaneous microbial diversity was present at birth in 11/12 of the infants, but the diversity decreased substantially after the first weeks of life in all infants regardless of their infection status. After the loss of diversity, one Staphylococcus operational taxonomic unit (OTU) dominated the skin microbiome. Recovery of microbial diversity was seen in 6 of 12 neonates. The microbiome of incubators showed typical environmental bacterial genera. Maternal antibiotic treatment, the etiology of the preterm birth or being born by C-section did not appear to affect the diversity of skin microbiota at birth, and no correlation was found between cutaneous microbiome and NS.

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