10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 3 Issue 2 2012 (April - June) lessThan b greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan Purpose : lessThan /i greaterThan lessThan /b greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan Candida lessThan /i greaterThan spp. are increasingly important pathogens in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Prior colonisation is a major risk factor for candidemia, but few studies have focused on risk factors for colonisation, particularly in NICU patients lessThan b greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan Methods: lessThan /i greaterThan lessThan /b greaterThan A prospective study was performed in NICU to determine risk factors for lessThan i greaterThan Candida lessThan /i greaterThan colonisation. Sample of blood was taken and swabs from various body sites were collected on day 0 (within 24 hrs. of birth), 48 ± 12 hrs., 72 ± 12 hrs., postnatal day 5, postnatal day 7 and once weekly thereafter till and were cultured . lessThan b greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan  Results lessThan /i greaterThan lessThan /b greaterThan : The prevalence of lessThan i greaterThan Candida lessThan /i greaterThan spp. colonisation was 27.5% (302 of 1098 neonates). Of 639 isolates, 50.23% were of lessThan i greaterThan C. albicans lessThan /i greaterThan followed by 31.14% of lessThan i greaterThan C. tropicalis lessThan /i greaterThan , 6.4% of lessThan i greaterThan C. glabrata lessThan /i greaterThan and 12.2% of lessThan i greaterThan C. parapsilosis lessThan /i greaterThan . Use of central venous catheters, multiple antibiotics, endotracheal intubation were risk factors for development of colonisation whereas delivery by caesarean section was protective. lessThan b greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan Conclusions lessThan /i greaterThan lessThan /b greaterThan : We speculate that in NICU patients, use of multiple antibiotics, steroids and IV catheters alter ecology of all body systems, thereby facilitating colonisation of lessThan i greaterThan Candida lessThan /i greaterThan spp. Dr. Arun Kumar, Dr. Aparna Yadav, Dr. Geeta Gathwala, Dr. Deep Gagneja, Dr.Uma Chaudhary, Dr. P.S.Gill Colonisation, Candida, risk factors 193-199