Fungal colonization is common in premature infants. Certain neonatal departments, routinely screen for fungal colonization by weekly cultures, while other departments perform fungal cultures solely in the presence of suggestive clinical or biological signs such as hyperleucocytosis, maternal vaginal candidiasis, sepsis and characteristic skin lesions. This neonatal colonization can progress to an invasive fungal infection leading to death and comorbidities. A relationship between fungal colonization and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia is suspected.
The aim of this study is to determine if fungal colonization is associated to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants less than 29 weeks of gestation, and to determine if an association exists between fungal colonization and complications of prematurity and death.