Neonatal Hemophilus influenzae Septicemia

Abstract

Systemic infections withHemophilus influenzaeare commonly seen in infants over 2 months of age and young children, but are rare in the neonate. Fothergill and Wright¹demonstrated that the blood of adults, older children, and newborn infants is usually bactericidal forH influenzae. These investigators also showed that the blood of infants over 2 months of age and young children lacks this property. They concluded that protection is acquired through infection in childhood, and that mothers transmit a temporary immunity to their newborn infants. Mathies et al²described a case ofH influenzaemeningitis in a premature infant and reported that the serum of the infant's mother was not bactericidal forH influenzae. Collier et all studied the maternal blood of two neonates withH influenzaemeningitis and found that these mothers also lacked protective activity againstH influenzae. Further examination later revealed adequate bactericidal activity. These