Follow-up of Newborns, Infants, and Children with Sepsis

Abstract

Mortality in newborn infants and children with sepsis is high with survival rates of generally more than 50% in recent studies. Longitudinal follow-up studies have the potential to reveal short-term and lifelong physical, mental, and psychological sequelae. Although no comprehensive follow-up research has yet been performed, a small number of follow-up studies have shown that there is a considerable impact on the patients' lives and their families after hospital discharge. Health-related quality of life also seems to be affected; however, it does not correlate with severity of sepsis or handicap per se. Prematurely born infants, who can develop sequelae directly attributable to prematurity and its consequences, suffer differently from sepsis-related lifelong sequelae compared with older children. Fortunately, time may heal some wounds due to the effect of growth in children. In future, large centers should establish structural follow-up programs for clinical and research purposes to learn more about the needs of affected children and their families.

Prenatal exposure to multiple metallic and metalloid trace elements and the risk of bacterial sepsis in extremely low gestational age newborns: A prospective cohort study

“…Neonatal bacterial sepsis is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality, resulting in a significant healthcare burden (1,41). Survivors often face neurological sequelae such as cerebral palsy and impaired motor function that have a persistent impact on quality of life (42). Although research suggests that the contribution of environmental factors to sepsis is just as strong as genetics (43), there have been no epidemiologic studies to date on the role of environmental chemical exposures.…”