Neonatal sepsis: an international perspective
- 1International Perinatal Care Unit, Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- 2Consultant Paediatric Infectious Diseases, St George’s Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE, UK
- 3Paediatric Department, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Correspondence to:
Dr Vergnano
International Perinatal Care Unit, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; s.vergnanoich.ucl.ac.uk
- Accepted 28 November 2004
Abstract
Neonatal infections currently cause about 1.6 million deaths annually in developing countries. Sepsis and meningitis are responsible for most of these deaths. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics is emerging and constitutes an important problem world wide. To reduce global neonatal mortality, strategies of proven efficacy, such as hand washing, barrier nursing, restriction of antibiotic use, and rationalisation of admission to neonatal units, need to be implemented. Different approaches require further research.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: none declared
