Sepsis in the Newborn
Definition of Sepsis in a Neonate
Neonatal sepsis is “a clinical syndrome of bacteremia with systemic signs and symptoms of infection and a positive culture from central body fluid” (Guha et al., 2005). It is the most common cause of neonatal mortality (Guha et al., 2005) and comes in two forms, namely early- onset sepsis and late-onset sepsis. Early-onset sepsis usually occurs within 72 hours of birth and can be attributed to perinatal risk factors, which usually come with respiratory problems and pneumonia. Late-onset sepsis, on the other hand, occurs after 72 hours upon birth and can be caused by infections that ...
