Eosinophilia in newborn infants.
To evaluate the clinical significance of eosinophilia in newborn infants, 261 admissions to the neonatal unit over a 12-month period were studied retrospectively; 33 babies with eosinophilia (> 1.0 x 10(9)/l) were studied. Clinical and laboratory data for the first month of life were compared, where available, between gestational age-matched pairs with and without eosinophilia. Of the 33 babies with eosinophilia, 23 were > 26 weeks' gestation and all had age-matched controls; 10 were < or = 26 weeks' gestation but had no appropriate gestational age-matched controls. Babies > 26 weeks' gestation with eosinophilia had a significantly higher number of septic episodes than controls: 20 of 23 versus 4 of 23. All 10 babies < or = 26 weeks' gestation with eosinophilia developed sepsis. Infections with gram-negative organisms and necrotizing enterocolitis occurred only in babies who developed eosinophilia. In 5 babies no cause for the eosinophilia was found. In conclusion, eosinophilia in the newborn is usually explainable and is most often associated with infection.
Patel
L
L
Department of Neonatal Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Garvey
B
B
Arnon
S
S
Roberts
I A
IA
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies