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Enteric infections constitute majority of infections in New York City infants
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Nearly two-thirds of infants born in New York City with reportable bacterial infections during a 9-year period had enteric infections, according to recent study data.
“Studies typically focus on identifying risk factors for individual diseases, but grouping diseases together for analysis might improve power to reveal additional risk factors or shared approaches for intervention,” Beth M. Isaac, MPH, from the division of disease control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and colleagues wrote. “Analyzing information on reportable bacterial infections collected by DOHMH could identify preventable causes of morbidity and mortality and distinguish populations at risk to direct interventions, ultimately improving the health of NYC infants.”
The researchers sought to determine the rates of bacterial infections among infants born in New York City from 2001 to 2009. The retrospective cohort study evaluated reports of bacterial infections among children aged younger than 1 year. Infants were categorized as having enteric infection (eg, botulism, listeriosis, salmonellosis), nonenteric infection (eg, chlamydia, gonorrhea, Lyme disease), or no reportable bacterial infection. Potential risk factors were considered, including sex and birthweight. Maternal factors also were taken into account, including race/ethnicity, poverty and education level, prenatal care, and delivery method.
Isaac and colleagues reported that bacterial infections affected 4.6 out of 1,000 live births. Approximately 63% of the infants with reportable infections (n = 4,524) had an enteric infection. The highest rate of enteric infection (8.5 per 1,000 live births) occurred among Asian/Pacific Islanders in Brooklyn. These infections typically occurred among those with foreign-born mothers (OR = 1.77; 95% CI, 1.6-1.95), infants enrolled in special food programs or Medicaid (OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.47-1.8), those living in poorer neighborhoods OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.26-1.97), and males (OR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.28).
Nonenteric infections were more common among infants with low birth weight and those whose mothers were born in the United States and of black race.
“By separating enteric from nonenteric bacterial infections, distinct patterns of risk factors were revealed,” Isaac and colleagues wrote. “The strongest predictor of bacterial enteric infection among infants was maternal Asian/Pacific Islander race/ethnicity, with the greatest association and highest rate seen among those residing in Brooklyn.” – by Rafi Naseer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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