Babies Seriously Threatened by Staph Infections in Hospitals
A sick baby can bring about all sorts of stress. We question what can make them better and if the ailment is advanced enough to seek out treatment. Hospitals increasingly report high numbers of non-emergent, infant visits due to these fears. This decision could prove deadly due to Staph.
Staphylococcus (Staph) is the name for a common group of bacteria found in the nose and on the skin of an estimated 33% of people. In many instances, Staph never hurts a person. However, If Staph bacteria gets into an open sore, as simple as a scratch or rash, it can lead to a variety of diseases.
Healthy hospital personnel often unknowingly carry Staph bacteria, which they can transmit to patients either via touch or contamination of equipment and surfaces. Infant’s immune systems are not yet mature, creating a susceptibility to the staph infection and the disease that spawn from them. These infections are associated with increased mortality and longer hospital stays.
Since 1998, extremely severe, community-associated strains of antibiotic resistant staph, commonly referred to as MRSA, has been reported. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that MRSA was associated with 19,000 American Deaths in 2005 – which was more than more than AIDS during the same time period – and caused serious infections in more than 94,000.
This revelation caused new protocols in hospitals which included MRSA screenings. However, 2015 studies by the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) reported that mortality rates after both resistant and non-resistant strains of staff was similar and suggests that measures to prevent both be included.
Because Staph can be easily passed, disease can spread rapidly. A 2015 report, posted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which detailed a neonatal intensive care unit outbreak of MRSA, illustrated the penetration of a community disease producing bacteria spreading rapidly in the hospital. The study showed how the susceptibility of newborns, coupled with insufficient infection control measures and inadequate nurse-to-patient ratio, contributed to the outbreak. Of the 14 infants infected, 11 became so ill that they were readmitted. Three of those children later died from the infection.
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All reports on Staph show that preventative measures can be taken to avoid development of disease. One of the most prevalent is cleanliness. Good hand-washing is vital to preventing staph infections as is continual cleaning of surfaces which the skin may encounter.
For babies, rash prevention is vital. The toxins in urine and stools can irritate the skin. When babies develop diaper rashes, the skin becomes vulnerable. Simply wiping a rash can remove the thin top layer of skin creating an open wound.
Studies have indicated that preventing diaper rash may be done by applying barrier creams to the area. A barrier cream, often referred to as diaper rash ointment, places a barrier between the skin and contaminants that may irritate the skin. However, be careful when you choose such an ointment. Some may have harsh chemicals that could harm the skin. Purchasing an organic based cream will ensure that your child is safe and using a disposable applicator will further prevent spread of disease.
About Swabbies Technologies, Inc.
Carman Campbell, creator of Swabbies, is a mompreneur who found that necessity is truly the mother of invention. Wanting to have a free hand and a clean hand when applying diaper rash cream and changing her squirmy baby’s diaper was the inspiration behind the invention. Swabbies is a patented single-hand use applicator with a specialized cream made from organic materials and is assembled at a non-profit training center for disabled adults in Quincy, Florida. Swabbies’ mission is to make products that are easier and safer for busy parents and caregivers to use. For more information, visit http://www.swabbiescream.com.
- Regev-Yochay G, etal: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in neonatal intensive care unit..Emerg Infect Dis. 2005 Mar;11(3):453-6.
- Stoll BJ, Hansen NI, Adams-Chapman I, et al; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Neurodevelopmental and growth impairment among extremely low-birth-weight infants with neonatal infection. JAMA. 2004;292(19):2357-2365.4
- Shane AL, Hansen NI, Stoll BJ, et al; Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Methicillin-resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus aureusbacteremia and meningitis in preterm infants. Pediatrics. 2012;129(4):e914-e922. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0966..
- https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/tracking/index.html
Babies Seriously Threatened by
Staph Infections in Hospitals
By Carman Hayes Campbell
CEO of Swabbies
