Bacterial translocation in the neonate.

Bacterial translocation has been a major topic of investigation for the past two decades. Despite recent evidence that bacterial translocation may play a significant role in the morbidity and mortality of adults faced with multiple types of stress, very little is known about the effect of bacterial translocation on the neonate. Recently more and more evidence has suggested that normal as well as premature or ill neonates experience spontaneous bacterial translocation quite commonly. This article reviews the recent literature on bacterial translocation in stressed adults, the development of an intact intestinal mucosal barrier in the newborn as a protection against bacterial translocation, and the role of spontaneous bacterial translocation in the development of systemic sepsis and its accompanying morbidity and mortality.