Risk factors for early neonatal sepsis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify maternal risk factors for early neonatal sepsis and perinatal outcome in a population of very low birth-weight newborns.


METHODS
During January 1995 to December 2000, 786 live preterm neonates were born in our institute with birth-weight < or =1,500 g. A cross-sectional study was designed and two groups were identified: 50 neonates who developed early neonatal sepsis and 736 neonates without early sepsis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of early sepsis among the neonates was 6.3% (50/786). The following maternal risk factors were significantly associated with early neonatal sepsis: advanced maternal age, high gravidity, the administration of multiple courses of prenatal steroids and tocolytic agents, (i.e., magnesium and indomethacin) and chorioamionitis with premature rupture of membranes. Using a multivariate analysis, the use of tocolytic drugs was found as an independent risk factor for early neonatal sepsis (OR=4.8; 95% CI 1.1-1.6; P=0.019) and so was low gestational age (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.007-0.017; P=0.017). The following variables of the neonate were significantly associated with early neonatal sepsis: low birth-weight, umbilical blood pH of less than 7.2 and the use of oxygen.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of tocolytic drugs and low gestational age are independent risk factors for early neonatal sepsis.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 151 Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Shimrit Yaniv
SY
Salem
Eyal
E
Sheiner
Ehud
E
Zmora
Hillel
H
Vardi
Ilana
I
Shoham-Vardi
Moshe
M
Mazor
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000473:pathology*