My newborn tested positive for MRSA:(

JessiRaye

This is more of a concerned vent I think so bear with me...

At Liam's 1 week appointment to check his weight with the LC (who is also a NP at the pediatric practice) I noticed a small blister in the diaper area. The NP thought it was most likely from friction from his diaper (very sensitive skin) and just told me to call her if we saw anything else. The blister was just a small, clear fluid filled blister and it disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. 3 days later I found another small blister on his abdomen and this one also went away very quickly before the NP could culture it. About 3 days later he got another tiny blister in the diaper area and we got him to the office very quickly and she cultured it. Today I got the results: MRSA. She feels like it is hospital acquired and will be notifying the newborn nursery.

Luckily, at the very first appointment, she had prescribed Bactroban for me to use on broken skin on my nipples to prevent any type of infection. So when his second blister appeared she had me treat him with it as well as put it on his bottom because he had some diaper rash. At this point, we are not treating him with any oral antibiotics and hopefully nothing else will present. However, she asked that we keep our threshold very low with him and call her if anything out of the norm goes on. Slight fever, fussiness etc.

I know staph is present on our skin but I am not happy that this was most likely a direct result of a nurse or physician improperly handling my little guy. Never be afraid to ask people to wash their hands around your little one! I wish I knew the exact culprit but we won't ever know:( Just praying that this is the end of this little mess and he will be just fine. He seems perfectly healthy....Sleeps pretty well, nurses wonderfully, not too fussy. 

If you read all that, thanks! Sometimes it is just therapeutic to vent here! 

mariannerules

Oh no, you are lucky that they cultured it and found out sooner rather than later that it is MRSA.  That way they can treat it ASAP.  Unfortunately, you'll probably never know exactly who/what caused it.  Its scary to think it came from the hospital; did you not have LO roomed with you during your hospital stay? 

TiffanyTheMom

Well, if there's any good out of any of this it's that the hospital can be notified and other parents won't have to go through this. I'm sorry your baby was the one who put the hospital on high alert, but it doesn't sound as bad as it could be and I hope it stays that way!

I hope that hospital tightens it's sanitary regulations because of this. 

misskassielynn

I am so glad you seem to have caught this early, this is why we can never be too careful... No worries about venting, I think its a totally vent-worthy topic and that's what we are here for! So sorry your little guy has to battle this out right when he shows up on the planet, also I am pretty angry with the doctors and nurses who cared for him

JessiRaye

Thanks ladies!

He did room in with me but of course went to the nursery daily for weight checks, heel pricks and he also was circumsized in the nursery area. The nurses would bring him back pretty quickly but his diaper was changed in the nursery at least once per day.

Another scary fact that I left out...During the first appointment with the LC, we were outside in the hall to get him on the scale. A lady with a newborn in front of me was getting her newborn weighed and she mentioned something about a blister on the baby. They were in the nursery at the same time. I said something to the doctor so hopefully they made a note of this!

I am very glad we caught it early. He hasn't any bad looking sores and the little blister spots cleared up so quickly I was convinced it was a non-issues. Before my c-section my nasal passages were swabbed for MRSA at the presurgical testing center as part of their normal protocal before surgery. I was negative. But the nurse there told me that many people carry it in their noses and if they blow their nose or pick at their nose and then touch something else, Voila, you can pass it along.