Neonatal Hemophilus influenzae Septicemia

Abstract

Systemic infections with<i>Hemophilus influenzae</i>are 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 for<i>H influenzae</i>. 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 of<i>H influenzae</i>meningitis in a premature infant and reported that the serum of the infant's mother was not bactericidal for<i>H influenzae</i>. Collier et all studied the maternal blood of two neonates with<i>H influenzae</i>meningitis and found that these mothers also lacked protective activity against<i>H influenzae</i>. Further examination later revealed adequate bactericidal activity. These