Sepsis is a serious infection that is a major cause of death in very premature infants. But sepsis is also a threat in "late preterm" infants born just a few weeks prematurely, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
Late preterm infants show a distinct pattern of risk for sepsis in the initial days and weeks of life, with one type of bacterial sepsis causing a sharp increase in mortality, reports the new research, led by Dr. Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez of Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Nationwide Data on Rates and Risk Factors for Sepsis in Late Preterm Infants
The researchers analyzed data on more than 225,000 late-preterm infants—born between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation—treated at newborn intensive care units (NICUs) across the United States. Sometimes called bloodstream infection or "blood poisoning," sepsis is a serious complication in which the body is invaded by infectious bacteria or other organisms. The infection and resulting immune system response can lead to organ damage and death.
The study included 119,000 infants admitted to the NICU within the first three days after birth. In this group, sepsis occurred at rate of 4.5 per 1,000 infants, based on positive culture tests for bloodstream infection. Hispanic infants, those with lower birth weights, and those delivered by cesarean section were at higher risk of early-onset sepsis; infants whose mothers were treated with antibiotics before delivery were at lower risk.
Another 106,000 infants were seen in the NICU between 4 days and 4 months after birth. In this group, sepsis occurred at a rate of about 6 per 1,000. Late-onset sepsis was more likely in infants with teenaged mothers and those who were in poorer condition a few minutes after birth (based on 5-minute Apgar score).