title: Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight infants with neonatal sepsis: systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the impact of neonatal sepsis on the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies comparing neurodevelopmental outcomes in VLBW infants exposed to culture-proven sepsis in the neonatal period with similar infants without sepsis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen studies involving 15,331 infants were included in the meta-analysis. Sepsis in VLBW infants was associated with an increased risk of one or more long-term neurodevelopmental impairments (odds ratio (OR) 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65 to 2.65) including cerebral palsy (CP; OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.78 to 2.45). Heterogeneity (I(2)=36.9%; P=0.06) between the studies was significant and related to variations in patient characteristics, causative pathogens and follow-up methods. Sensitivity analyses based on study design, follow-up rate and year of birth were not significantly different from the overall analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The meta-analysis suggests that sepsis in VLBW infants is associated with a worse neurodevelopmental outcome including higher incidence of CP.
authors: Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. belal.alshaikh@albertahealthservices.ca
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Alshaikh
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Yusuf
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sauve
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications*