Neonatal Sepsis in the Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants: Part 1: Review of Patho-physiology

Background: Over the last fifty years neonatal care has made tremendous progress; increasing survival, reducing morbidity, developing newer modalities of care and therapy for the very low birth weight (VLBW) and premature infant. However, mortality from neonatal sepsis in this group of infants has remained between 18-20% in the developed world and around 80% in the developing world for last three decades with little sign of decline. There is also clear evidence that VLBW infants who survive infection in the neonatal period are at significantly greater risk of neuro-developmental delay; making sepsis the most important cause of mortality and morbidity in this group of