The largest maternity ward in Northern Ireland is undergoing a deep cleaning after three infants died of an infection in the ward, according to UPI. The recent breakout of Pseudomonas at Royal Maternity Hospital, in Belfast, has the hospital working to clean the neonatal and intensive care units to eliminate the bacteria, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday. Doctors first became aware there was an infection Monday night when the laboratories reported it, however, the first death happened on January 6 and the second on January 13. The third infant died Friday night. The four infants who were found to be infected were treated and have made recoveries. The parents of 24 other infants were waiting to hear whether their children are infected. "She's just seven weeks old and was born at just 24 weeks, weighing just one pound seven ounces," said the mother of a baby girl at the hospital. "She has come so far, past illness and the fact that she could get sick again – we really don't want to think about it." Pseudomonas is not infectious itself, but because it is carried by water and moisture, patients can carry it on their skin. The bacteria can cause infections in the chest, blood and urinary tract. Royal Maternity officials were working to identify the source of the outbreak. "The infection control team is now in the process of trying to identify the source of the infection and our health and social care system is in a good position to make sure all babies receive the neonatal care they require," said Edwin Poots, Stormont Health Minister.
