Streptococcus gallolyticus ssp pasteurianus (SGp) is an uncommon but increasingly recognized cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Liver abscess in neonates is extremely rare. But liver abscess due to SG has never been reported in the literature. We present the first case of liver abscess due to SGp in a late preterm infant. A female infant was born at 36 weeks via normal vaginal delivery to a mother with unremarkable antenatal history. She had progressively worsening respiratory distress since birth and was intubated at 13 h of life. One dose of surfactant was delivered and ventilation continued. Parenteral crystalline Penicillin and Gentamicin were initiated and her blood culture at birth grew SGp. She had a spike of fever on day 5 of life. An ultrasound (US) scan of the abdomen was included in the septic work up. A multi-septated cystic liver abscess was noted in the right lobe of the liver. As there was inadequate response to appropriate intravenous antibiotics, needle aspiration and biopsy were performed on day 35 of life. Aspirate was sterile and histopathology confirmed a liver abscess. The patient continued to be treated with antibiotics for 8 weeks with serial US scans of the liver showing resolution of the abscess. Increasing awareness among paediatric and neonatal fraternity about these new emerging bacterial infections can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.

Background: Fever without source in infants is a common clinical problem that accounts for many ambulatory care visits and hospitalisations. Currently, there is no reliable method of identifying those at risk of serious infection (SI). Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the incidence and identify the predictors of SI in febrile infants who presented to the emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of children presenting to a Singapore tertiary hospital paediatric unit between 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2018. Children were included if they were aged 0–90 days and presented to the ED with a fever. SI was defined as urinary tract infection (UTI), sepsis, bacteraemia, meningitis (viral and bacterial), enterocolitis, osteomyelitis, abscess or pneumonia. Results: Of the 659 infants, 161 (24.4%) were diagnosed with SI. Meningitis (49.7%) was the most common SI, followed by UTI (45.3%), enterocolitis (5.6%), sepsis (3.1%) and bacteraemia (2.5%). Factors significantly associated with SI were aged 29–60 days, male sex, Severity Index Score (SIS) <10, absolute neutrophil counts >10×109/L, C-reactive protein (CRP) >20 mg/L and procalcitonin >0.5 ng/mL. Multivariate analysis entering all these items retained only male sex, SIS <10 and CRP >20. Conclusion: Among hospitalised infants aged 0–90 days, the incidence of SI was 24.4%, and invasive bacterial infection was 0.6%. Meningitis was the most common SI followed by UTI. SIS and CRP can be used to predict SI in infants <90 days old.

IntroductionOur aim was to determine whether there are risk factors which increase the risk of developing dysglycemia in a child who has increased body mass index (BMI) (overweight/obese).Research design and methodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of 715 children who had increased BMI (overweight/obese). They presented to tertiary care at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, for metabolic risk assessment. Subjects who had more than one oral glucose tolerance test were included in order to track and analyze risk factors associated with worsening glycemic status from a previously normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) state. Demographic characteristics, birth history, family history of metabolic syndrome, metabolic comorbidities, and interventions received were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine odds ratio (OR) of worsening glycemic status progression in association with an analyzed variable, adjusted for intervention received.ResultsRisk factors of developing dysglycemia can be present right from birth, as participants who were born preterm had increased odds of IGT (OR: 3.49 (1.10 to 11.03)), and a greater proportion of large-for-gestational-age (LGA)/small-for-gestational-age (SGA) babies had dysglycemia (SGA-IGT: 8.8%, SGA-diabetes mellitus (DM): 5.9%, LGA-IGT: 10.6%, LGA-DM: 11.8%) even at baseline. Being born preterm (OR: 3.49 (1.10 to 11.03)), with comorbidities of hypertension (OR: 1.61 (1.01 to 2.57)), hyperlipidemia (OR: 1.80 (1.19 to 2.72)), and fatty liver disease (OR: 2.08 (1.39 to 3.13)), was significantly associated with an increased OR of developing IGT. Risk factors for developing a worsening glycemic status, either to IGT or DM, included age >10 years (OR 4.94 (1.21 to 20.25)), BMI rise (OR 1.71 (1.17 to 2.49)), BMI increase >1.08 kg/m2(OR 1.71 (1.16 to 2.51)), comorbidities of hyperlipidemia (OR 1.67 (1.12 to 2.50)), and fatty liver disease (OR 2.11 (1.43 to 3.12)).ConclusionsA child who has increased BMI (overweight/obese) and possesses risk factors for worsening glycemic status, if intervened with routine lifestyle modification advice, may still have increased risk of developing dysglycemia and type 2 DM. Therefore, understanding their risk profile provides opportunities to have a tiered and individualized approach.