Newborn Sepsis

Sepsis in Newborn Babies

Hematologic,Infectious Disease,Neonatal,Pediatric,Poisoning

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate
What is sepsis? — Sepsis is an infection in the blood. It is a serious illness that affects the whole body. Sepsis needs to be treated right away because it can be life threatening.
Sepsis can happen in babies, children, and adults. "Sepsis in newborn babies" is when sepsis happens in babies younger than 1 month old. Doctors and nurses call it "neonatal sepsis."
What are the symptoms of sepsis in newborn babies? — Symptoms of sepsis in newborn babies can include:
A fever – But some babies have a low or normal body temperature instead of a fever.
Trouble breathing or breathing faster than normal
Feeding less than usual
Vomiting
Jaundice – Jaundice is the word doctors use when a baby's skin or white part of the eye turns yellow.
Sleeping more than usual
The fingertips and lips looking slightly blue
Should I call my baby's doctor or nurse? — Yes. If your baby has any of the symptoms above, or isn't acting normally, call his or her doctor or nurse right away.
Will my baby need tests? — Yes. If your baby's doctor suspects sepsis, he or she will do blood tests, including a test called "blood cultures." Blood cultures can check for an infection in the blood.
Many babies also need other tests to check if they have an infection in another part of their body. These tests might include:
A lumbar puncture (sometimes called a "spinal tap") – During this procedure, a doctor will put a thin needle into your baby's lower back and remove a small sample of spinal fluid. Spinal fluid is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. He or she will do lab tests on the sample.
Urine tests
A chest X-ray
How is sepsis in newborn babies treated? — Sepsis in newborn babies is treated in the hospital. The doctor will give your baby antibiotic medicines that go into his or her vein through a tube called an "IV."
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete.
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Mar 30, 2020.
Topic 17189 Version 4.0
Release: 28.2.2 - C28.105
© 2020 UpToDate, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Bacteria in the Blood, Infants,Bacterial Blood Infections,Bacterial Sepsis,Blood Infections,Blood Poisoning,Infant Sepsis,Neonatal Sepsis,Neonatal Septicemia,Newborn Sepsis,Pediatric Rash,Sepsis Neonatorum,Sepsis, Babies,Sepsis, Infants,Sepsis, Newborns,Septicemia,SIRS,Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

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