The nasopharyngeal bacterial flora in the sudden infant death syndrome

Summary The nasopharyngeal bacterial flora in babies who had died of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) ( n = 46) and in healthy infants aged 2 weeks to 6 months ( n = 46) is described. Of those who had died, 41·3 % carried Staphylococcus aureus (95 % confidence limits: 27·3–55·3 %) compared with 28·3 % of healthy infants (95 % confidence limits: 15·3–41·3 %). The isolation rate of streptococci was 78·3 % in cases (95 % confidence limits: 66·4–90·2 %) and 32·6 % in healthy infants (95 % confidence limits: 19·1–46·1 %) (significant difference P P