DeFede

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4 I-TEAM) ― There is "no information to conclude" that the two infants who died at Miami Children's Hospital earlier this month acquired the bacteria that lead to their deaths from the Ft. Pierce hospital where they were born, according to the Florida Department of Health.

State health department officials in St. Lucie County conducted their own investigation into the deaths of the two infants – 7-day-old Anthony Malinconico and 21-day-old La'ziea Skinner – after they learned both children were born at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center.

"The St. Lucie County Health Department epidemiologist interviewed Lawnwood Regional Medical Center staff, visited the nursery and NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] and reviewed medical charts for the two infants and found no indication that they acquired the bacteria at Lawnwood," said Doc Kokol, a spokesman for the state health department.

CBS4 News asked if state officials were investigating the possibility that the infants may have been exposed to the bacteria in the medical helicopter, since both infants were airlifted – fourteen days apart – to Miami Children's Hospital.

"Since these children were transported in incubators, the potential for colonization while in transport is very slight," Kokol said.

Those statements by state health officials refocus attention on Miami Children's Hospital as the source of the bacteria.

La'ziea Skinner was born on February 22 at Lawnwood and flown by helicopter later that day to Miami Children's Hospital.

Anthony Malinconico was born on March 7 and airlifted to Miami four hours later.

Anthony died on Saturday, March 14.

La'ziea died on Sunday, March 15.

Both children, born premature, succumbed to infections after being exposed to a form of bacteria known as Pseudomonas, a common bacteria that can be deadly in preemies.

The Miami Dade County Health Department and Miami Children's Hospital have been conducting an investigation into the two deaths as well as the case of a third child who was exposed to the bacteria but survived.

Citing privacy laws, neither Miami Children's nor the Miami-Dade County Health Department would say where the third child was born.

All indications, however, are that the third child was not born at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center.

St. Lucie County officials were not told about a third child, and they believe that if the third child had been born at Lawnwood, they would have been notified so they could have included the child's medical records in their review.

"We do not know the identity of a third baby or where he/she may be from," St. Lucie health officials said in an email.

According to a timeline provided by the state health department, the St. Lucie County Health Department was notified about the two deaths on March 24 and an epidemiologist was sent to the hospital the next day.

"Our review of records, interviews with staff and tour of the OB and NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] found no information to conclude that these two infants acquired the bacteria at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center," said Kokol, the health department spokesman.

Nevertheless, the three cases have caused concern about a possible outbreak of the infectious bacteria. Hospital officials say the three infants were all exposed to three different strains of the Pseudomonas bacteria – meaning they acquired the bacteria from different sources.

The presence of Pseudomonas is not unusual, experts say. It is a bacteria found on more than one in three individuals and hospitals are try to take precautions to prevent its spread to those who would be vulnerable to infections.

"Infections with Pseudomonas happen in hospitals even under the best circumstances," said Dr. Stephanie Factor, a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and a former epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control. "The apparent closeness in time of these [three incidents] may make it look like there is something going on, but it may be due to chance alone."

Factor, who is not involved in the investigation, said the source of the bacteria may never be known. "Because they are three different strains, it is very difficult to figure out where the infections occurred," she said.

Gloria Seidule, the attorney representing the family of La'ziea Skinner, told CBS4 News she has contacted Miami Children's Hospital and the county health department and asked them to preserve all of the bacteria samples so the Skinner family can conduct their own tests.

Factor said the case provides the public with an opportunity to learn about the spread of common bacteria and why hospitals take the types of precautions they do. For instance, when hospitals prevent plants from being delivered or forbid children in certain parts of the hospital, it is all in an attempt to cut down on the spread of infections.

"Hospital infections occur," she said. "Hospitals work very hard to prevent hospital acquired infections. When we encourage patients to do things to help us prevent infections, we are doing it with the very best of intentions."

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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