Group B Streptococcus late onset sepsis in very low birth weight newborns: 10 years experience.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence of late-onset neonatal infection (LONS) group B streptococcus (GBS) in very low birth weight (VLBW) is still matter of debate. In the present 10-years retrospective study we investigated the epidemiology of GBS LONS in VLBW neonates.


METHODS
From January 2006 to July 2015 we conducted a retrospective study in all preterm infants admitted at our third level referral center for neonatal intensive care (NICU). From our database we were able to retrieve all cases of bloodstream infections/meningitis GBS positive. Perinatal data were also collected Results: On a total of 13 747 infants 975 (7%) were VLBW and in seven cases of GBS LONS was observed with a incidence of 7.2/1000 live births.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher rate of LONS GBS in our series offer additional support to further investigations in wider population in order to better define GBS screening and therapeutic management in a such specific population.
a Mother Infant Department, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Francesco M
FM
Risso
b Department of Pediatrics, Microbiology Section, Infectious Diseases Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Elio
E
Castagnola
c Microbiology Laboratory, General Laboratory of Analysis, Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Roberto
R
Bandettini
a Mother Infant Department, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Diego
D
Minghetti
a Mother Infant Department, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Laura
L
Pagani
a Mother Infant Department, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genoa , Italy.
Luca A
LA
Ramenghi
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D000071074:Neonatal Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
GBS infection; Very low birth weight; late onset neonatal infections; neonatal meningitis