Neonatal Sepsis:
Striking at the heart of antimicrobial resistance, the international NeoSep 1 trial to evaluate life-saving antibiotic combinations for newborns with sepsis has expanded to India, with the first baby being recruited at the JIPMER in Puducherry.
- Neonatal Sepsis is a life-threatening bloodstream infection that occurs in babies under 90 days old, often affecting premature or low-birth-weight infants.
- It is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in the world, taking 30% to 50% of babies’ lives.
- Bacterial infections are the most common cause of neonatal sepsis.
- It can be caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E coli), Listeria, and some strains of streptococcus.
- The herpes simplex virus (HSV) can also cause a severe infection in a newborn baby. This happens most often when the mother is newly infected with HSV.
- Classification:
- Early-onset sepsis (EOS): It presents at or before 72 hours of life.
- The source of infection has been traditionally believed to be the maternal genital tract.
- Late-onset sepsis (LOS):
- It presents after 72 hours of life.
- LOS can be either healthcare-associated (HAI) or community-acquired infection.
- Early-onset sepsis (EOS): It presents at or before 72 hours of life.
- Treatment:
- Sepsis in newborns is curable.
- It must be treated in a hospital, usually through antibiotics transmitted intravenously.
