Amebiasis in the newborn. Peculiarities and unknown factors
Jasso-Gutiérrez, L.; Flores-Huerta, S.
Archivos de Investigacion Medica 11(1 Suppl): 287-290
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-6769 PMID: 7469645 Document Number: 161459
This disease occurs in various clinical conditions between the 1st and 3rd wk of life, with diarrhea, with mucus and blood. Hepatomegaly is common in the absence of liver abscess. There are recorded cases of dysentery, toxic colitis, appendicitis, cutaneous and genital amebiasis, liver abscess and meningitis. The low incidence in the newborn may be attributed to factors inherent in the immunological characteristics, gastric pH and intestinal flora of the host, Other elements that may contribute to the low rate of occurrence may be related to the environment, perhaps including the presence of colostrum in human milk supply. Several suggestions are given for further study in an effort to explain some of the unknown factors: Studying a larger population of newborn infants with diarrhea with early determination of the presence of amebiasis, evaluating the cytopathogenic effect of the serum with and without anti-amebic antibodies in blood from the umbilical cord; and making a quantitative study of the effects of specific components of human blood to determine the influence on the amebic cyst and the trophozoite.