Early Diagnosis of Candidiasis in Premature Infants

This observational study evaluated the performance of new lab tests in detecting candida species fungal infections in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants quickly and accurately. 19 NICHD Neonatal Research Network sites enrolled 1,500 infants with birth weights ≤1,000g; 100 of these infants later tested positive for candidiasis. Blood, urine, and lumbar puncture samples were collected whenever other specimens were obtained from participants for cultures. These samples are being tested using the new methods and compared with standard culture results. Surviving study subjects completed a neurodevelopmental evaluation at 18-22 months corrected age.