Neonatal Septicemia and Perinatal Risk Factors

Abstract

Many methods for screening and prediction of neonatal septicemia have been tried. In this study a score, related to both perinatal risk factors and neonatal diseases, was tested upon healthy newborn infants, infants with septicemia and infants with other diseases. Statistical differences were found between infants with neonatal septicemia and infants with other neonatal diseases as well as normal newborns. It was also possible to find a relationship between certain predisposing factors and predominance of certain pathogens. Complications during pregnancy and delivery were most often found in the group B streptococcal, combinations of invasive procedures and neonatal diseases in the staphylococcal group and surgical procedures in the gram-negative group.

Aetiology and Management of Children With Acute Fever of Unknown Origin

“…[130] There are several reports of criteria to identify the febrile neonate at high risk of serious bacterial infections. The sensitivity of Bergqvist and colleagues' [131] clinical scoring system (positive screen = score of ≥3 out of 10 items) was only 52.5%, and the negative predictive value (NPV) 82.6%. Akenzua et al, [132] Zipursky et al [133] and Boyle et al [124] reported the value of individual haematological indices but they had limited sensitivity and specificity.…”

Prediction of Sepsis Neonatorum following a Full-Term Pregnancy

“…Other investigators have reported a prevalence ranging from 0.8 to 5% [3][4][5], Several factors such as other diag nostic criteria and selection of samples and differences between populations may con tribute to these significant differences. This material excluded all premature deliveries and all diabetic mothers from a defined geo graphic area.…”

“…However, there are data showing that the occurrence of infected neonates at full-term pregnancies is increasing [3][4][5], Little is known about other predisposing risk factors and what influence obstetrical routine at a full-term pregnancy may have. The increasing use of internal monitoring devices and consequently the in creasing frequency of vaginal examinations may contribute to the development of neo natal sepsis.…”

“…Neonatal sepsis is a serious condition of ten followed by complications [1], Its inci dence has increased during the last decade [2,3], Certain predisposing factors related to pregnancy, delivery, as well as neonatal dis eases have been identified [4][5][6], Premature delivery, delay after rupture of membranes and absence of specific humoral antibody against the pathogen [3,9,10] are complica tions which often greatly increase the risk for infection of the amniotic fluid [7,8], The risk of becoming infected is greater if gesta tion is less than 34 weeks [4,5]. However, there are data showing that the occurrence of infected neonates at full-term pregnancies is increasing [3][4][5], Little is known about other predisposing risk factors and what influence obstetrical routine at a full-term pregnancy may have.…”

Neonatal bacteraemia: diagnosis and management.

“…In the highfrequency areas the disease seems to occur in clusters or foci; and in Scandinavia, for example, there may be a single focus extending across all three countries. 3 One of the most fruitful subjects of research has been the changes in prevalence in migrants, major differences being found among people of the same genetic stock living in different environments. Such studies have been reported from South Africa,4 Israel,5 Hawaii,6 and America,7 and the findings are remarkably similar: the migrant tends to carry with him most but not all of the risk of his native land.…”