Forgot your password?

Please enter your username or email address. Instructions for resetting the password will be immediately emailed to you.
Reset Password

Return to login form 

Please note: While some information will still be current in a year, other information may already be out of date in three months time. If you are in any doubt, please feel free to ask.

MRSA and child

Question
Hello,
I am 38 years old and suffer from CF. At the beginning of december we expect with my wife our first child. Unfortunately, MRSA has been detected again and again in my throat, at the last investigation, it could not be found.
I am a bit worried, therefore I would like to get your advice: what do I have to take into accout when having contact to the baby? Can I be in the delivery room during birth? How should the contact to the child be in the first weeks? What has to be especially taken into account?
Many thanks in advace
Answer
Dear questioner,
the question about the risk of colonization- or infection for "relatives" of patients carrying a multi-resistant germ (e.g. MRSA), especially when having close contact at home, is relevant for many people in different personal situtaions and of course in the health care system. There is no general answer, as the risk of transmission cannot be excluded a 100% and depends on many, partly very individual, factors. Therefore I am of the opinion, that an individual counselling is necessary and contact to partners of different disciplines (e.g. clinicians, midwife, micorbiologist, hygienist or public health care members). The data respectively the availability of recommendations is best for the MRSA germ. It is hardly possible to cite all recommendations for minimizing the risk here, therefore I provided some links at the end of my answer.
Your situation (MRSA colonization in case of CF and being father soon) is of course very special and is not especially reflected there, however, general recommendation can be transferred easily.
An eradication trial in CF patients should always be done. If not successful, it would be important to know the actual colonization sides (only respiratory tract, or also skin and nose) and to try individually to lower the germ load (e.g. with nasal ointment). If possible, your MRSA should be investigated for PVL (Leukocidin toxin), as PVL positive stems represent a strong infection risk and need more intense hygienic measures. At home, always basic hygiene is recommended (especially hand hygiene) and to reduce contact where it is possible.
Being present during birth should be discussed with the hospital of delivery respecitvely the hospital hygienist in charge, as here is the main resposibility. I am of the opinion, that it could be justified that you are present at birth (spontaneous birth), when hand hygiene is done and you wear a face mask. I think that one has to face the fact, that it could come to a colonization in the course of time. A colonization with MRSA in a child is not per se a danger, however will be a reason for starting an eradication trial.
With my best wishes for the coming birth,
Michael Hogardt

Links in German:
https://www.gesunde.sachsen.de/download/Download_Gesundheit/Informationsblatt_zum_Umgang_mit_MRSA_im_haeuslichen_Bereich_August_2012.pdf

https://www.mrsa-net.nl/de/personal/selbst-mrsa-trager/und-jetzt/1058-ich-bin-selbst-mrsa-trager-muss-ich-zu-hause-besondere-schutzmabnahmen-beachten

https://www.mrsa-net.nl/de/personal/entlassung/entlassung-nach-hause/1014-welche-massnahmen-soll-ein-mrsa-positiver-patient-zu-hause-treffen-nach-der-entlassung-aus-dem-krankenhaus

www.mre-netzwerk-mittelhessen.de/images/DOWNLOADS_NEU/EMPFEHLUNGEN/MRSA-Sanierung_in_der_ambulanten_Pädiatrie_14-10-06.pdf

11.11.2017