Reducing Antibiotic Exposure at the Beginning of Life

Abstract

The transition of the fetus from a usually sterile intrauterine environment to postnatal life is accompanied by rapid colonization with bacteria. Despite the developmental immaturity of the neonatal immune system, the vast majority of newborns adapt well to the extrauterine environment.Not surprisingly, the lifetime risk of infection is highest during the first days of life, as a result of infections acquired shortly before, during, or after birth. 1 As this transitional period is characterized by dramatic physiologic adaptations, the timely recognition of infection has remained a challenge.