Table 1.

Reported Prevalence of Asymptomatic C. difficile Colonization in Children by Age Group in the Literature

Year	Study Location	No. of Subjects	Patient Status during C. difficile Testing	Frequency of Colonization	Reference
Neonates (< 1 month)
2005	Netherlands	100	Healthy outpatients	22%	Penders et al., 2005
1994	Japan	67	Hospitalized in the intensive care unit	61%	Kato et al., 1994
1984	United Kingdom	92	Hospitalized in the intensive care unit	71%	Al-Jumaili et al., 1984
1984	United Kingdom	150	Hospitalized in postnatal wards and outpatients	31%	Bolton et al., 1984
1983	United States	36	Healthy Outpatients	33%	Cooperstock et al., 1983
1982	United Kingdom	451	Hospitalized in postnatal wards	14%	Larson et al., 1982
1981	United States	45	Hospitalized in the newborn nursery	29%	Viscidi et al., 1981
Infants (1–12 months)
1983	United States	71	Healthy outpatients	44%	Cooperstock et al., 1983
Children (> 12 months)
2001	United States	604	Healthy Outpatients	3.5%*	Vernacchio et al., 2006
1986	Belgium	25	Hospitalized children	4%	Merida et al., 1986

^*A minority of children aged 6-12 months were enrolled.