Microbial Flora of Infant's Skin

Abstract

Microbiological studies of diaper dermatitis have been few. With a modification of Pachtman's technique, bacterial and fungal cultures were obtained from the diaper area of 35 patients with diaper dermatitis and of 25 normal controls.<i>Candida albicans</i>was isolated from lesions of 27 patients with diaper dermatitis but from skin of only three of the controls. Its frequency decreased following cure of the rash.<i>Escherichia coli</i>and<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>were found in many of the lesions of diaper dermatitis but they were also frequent in normal skin. The possibility of a synergistic action between these bacteria and<i>C albicans</i>is discussed. In many infants, regardless of the presence of dermatitis, the microbial population of the diaper region was very high.