Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonization in Preterm Newborns With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

We describe the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in mother-infant pairs of very low birth weight newborns P. jirovecii in patients' specimens. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in 8 nasopharyngeal aspirates (14%) of 56 newborns and in 7 oral washes (21%) of 34 mothers. Pneumocystis detection immediately after birth suggests the possibility of its transplacental transmission. Compared to noncolonized infants, more frequent occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was seen in colonized infants (P = .02), suggesting a potential clinical importance of this pathogen in abnormal lung development.

Automated summary

The study revealed the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in mother-infant pairs of very low birth weight newborns, with Pneumocystis DNA detected in both newborns and mothers. The finding of Pneumocystis detection immediately after birth suggests the possibility of its transplacental transmission, and colonized infants were more likely to develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia, indicating a potential clinical importance of this pathogen in abnormal lung development.