Epidemiological Study of Neonatal Sepsis in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis 1s a clinical syndrome of systemic illness accompanied by bacteremia occurring in the first month of life. Sepsis is still one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period (Gomella, 1999). The incidence of primary neonatal sepsis is 1-1011000 live births and as high as 13-27/1000 for infants weighing< 1500g (Gomella,1999). Approximately one fourth of all very low birth weight (VLBW) (<1500 grams) infants in the USA who survive beyond the third day of life have at least one episode of sepsis (Stoll et al., 1996). Neonatal sepsis is responsible for approximately 2 million neonatal deaths per year in developing countries (Lanari et al., 2001). All preterm neonates are at higher risk of bacterial sepsis. Premature infants born before 33 weeks gestational age have a developmentally immature and functionally incompetent epidermal barrier, a large surface area to body mass, and developmental defects in systemic immune function (Wilson et aL, 1996), placing them at particularly high risk for mvas1ve bacterial and fungal infections (Williams et al., 1998). While barrier functions are developing, premature infants suffer significant morbidity and mortality due to infections. Other predisposing factors for neonatal sepsis include;