Neonatal sepsis

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Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Neonatal sepsis

Alternative Names

Sepsis neonatorum; Neonatal septicemia

Symptoms

Infants with neonatal sepsis may have the following symptoms:

Body temperature changes
Breathing problems
Diarrhea
Low blood sugar
Reduced movements
Reduced sucking
Seizures
Slow heart rate
Swollen belly area
Vomiting
Yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

Exams and Tests

Laboratory tests can help diagnose neonatal sepsis and identify the bacteria that is causing the infection. Blood tests may include:

Blood culture
C-reactive protein
White blood cell count

If a bacterial infection is strongly suspected, other tests may include lumbar puncture, urine tests, and chest x-rays.

References

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2005.

Schrag S, Gorwitz R, Fultz-Butts K, Schuchat A. Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 51(RR-11): 1–22, 2002.

Schrag S. Prevention of neonatal sepsis. Clin Perinatol. Sept 2005; 32(3): 601-15.

Review Date: 8/20/2007
Reviewed By: Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief Medical Officer, A.D.A.M., Inc. Also reviewed by Deirdre O’Reilly, M.D., M.P.H., Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission. URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit.

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