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CompletedNCT00620984Updated Jun 2, 2015

Staphylococcus Aureus Carrier Status in Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants and the Risk of Lactation Mastitis

An observational study in Mastitis, Staphylococcus Aureus and Staphylococcal Infections, sponsored by State University of New York - Upstate Medical University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-06-02.

Sponsored by State University of New York - Upstate Medical University · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
557
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Lactation (breastfeeding) mastitis is an acute infection of the milk ducts of the breastfeeding woman. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the infectious germ most commonly associated with lactation mastitis. Twenty percent of the general population are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus, which means that they carry the infectious germ but do not become ill from it. It has been suggested that mothers who are carriers of S. aureus in their nostril may be at an increased risk of developing lactational mastitis, however; this has not been clinical proven.

We are studying the relationship between S. aureus carrier status of breastfeeding mothers and infants and the risk of developing lactational mastitis. Additionally, we are collecting questionnaire data in an attempt to better define factors predisposing women to lactation mastitis.

Read the detailed description

Lactation mastitis is an acute inflammation of the interlobular connective tissue within the mammary gland of a breastfeeding woman. It is a relatively common condition that causes pain and worry, and can lead to restriction in activity and increased risk of early weaning from breastfeeding. Staphylococcus aureus is the infectious agent most commonly implicated in lactation mastitis.

It is well established that the anterior nares are the primary reservoir of S. aureus in humans and that approximately 20% of healthy individuals are "persistent carriers" of the organism. Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of infection including surgical wound infections. It has been suggested that maternal and infant nasal carriage of S. aureus may be associated with an increased risk of breast infection during lactation.

We propose to prospectively study the relationship between the S. aureus carrier status of 500 healthy breastfeeding dyads and the rate of the subsequent development of lactational mastitis. Carrier status of mothers and infants will be determined through two nasal swabbings performed in the early post-partum period. The swabs will be analyzed with both traditional culture and through Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification analysis. Mastitis rate will be determined via serial follow-up telephone interviews during the first two months post-partum.

02

Conditions studied

  • Mastitis
  • Staphylococcus Aureus
  • Staphylococcal Infections

Keywords

  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Breastfeeding
  • Lactational Mastitis
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification analysis
  • staphylococcal infections
  • staphylococcal Carrier State
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In context

Mastitis

31 studies on the registry are indexed under Mastitis; 7 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 557 is above the median of 211 across 14 observational studies indexed under Mastitis.

Browse Mastitis studies →

Lead sponsor

State University of New York - Upstate Medical University is the lead sponsor of 157 studies on the registry; 18 are open to participants now.

Of its 11 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (36%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

We will be enrolling 500 dyads (mother and newborn infant pairs) into the study over approximately a three year period. Mothers will be age 18 years or older.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Mother must plan to breastfeed exclusively for at least two months
  • Mother must be 18 years or older.
  • Mother must speak English and capable of giving
  • Must be the delivery of a term (37 weeks or more), singleton live infant.
  • Mother must be within post-partum day zero to three-status post delivery
  • Both mother and infant generally healthy without disease known to cause significant immune dysfunction or known to be associated with abnormally high carriage rates of S. aureus such as -positive status or AIDS, Type I Diabetes Mellitus, ongoing need for hemodialysis or chronic use, or receiving either chemotherapy/radiation treatment for ?
  • Must have the ability to communicate via phone for follow up assessments.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Does not have the ability to drop off the second set of cultures.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

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Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

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Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
557 participants (actual)
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Our primary objective is to determine the association of nasal carriage of S. aureus in breastfeeding mothers and infants with the rate development of mastitis in the mothers.

    Time frame: Culture results will be unblinded at the end of the study.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Secondary objective will be to document the S. aureus carriage rate, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in early post-partum period and to assess the relationship between S. aureus carrier status of the mother and the infant.

    Time frame: Culture results will be unblinded at the end of the study.

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Study locations

1 site
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University
    Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 2, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00620984
Responsible party
Jayne Charlamb, MD (Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York - Upstate Medical University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 22, 2008
Start date
Aug 2006
Primary completion
Aug 2009
Completion
Dec 2009
Last update
Jun 2, 2015

Study contacts

Jayne R Charlamb, MD, IBCLC
principal investigator · State University of New York - Upstate Medical University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2015. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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