Breast Abscess and Staphylococcal Disease in a Maternity Hospital

Abstract

An extensive survey of the occurrence of breast abscess in 18,275 women delivered in the maternity wing of the Geelong and District Hospital from July 1956 to Dec. 1963 is presented. The survey includes a thorough follow-up investigation of these mothers for a period of 6 months after parturition. A reduction in the incidence of puerperal breast abscess from 2.5% to 0.16% of mothers is reported and the factors responsible are discussed. A correlation between breast abscess in mothers and staphylococcal skin disease in infants is shown. There is evidence that "virulence" of a particular strain of staphyloco ccus probably plays a greater part in staphylococcal disease in the mother than in the infant. Antiseptic skin care of infants with a 3% hexachlorophane emulsion is shown to be a very effective method of reducing puerperal breast abscess in mothers.