Incidence of Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis in Neonates with Meconium-Stained Liquor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/JBUMDC2025842Keywords:
Meconium-stained liquor; early-onset neonatal sepsis; meconium aspiration syndrome; neonatal outcomes; intra-amniotic infectionAbstract
Objective: The incidence of clinically suspected and culture-proven early-onset sepsis in newborns born through meconiumstained liquor compared to clear liquor controls.
Study Design and Setting: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Medicine
and Neonatal Unit, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from 15 April 2025 to 15 Oct 2025.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the PNS Shifa Hospital. The study enrolled consecutive
liveborn neonates delivered during the study period, with 42 MSL and 65 clear-liquor controls. Ineffective antibiotic
treatment and clinical findings of sepsis were included. Other outcomes included admission rate to the neonatal intensive
care unit, occurrence of meconium aspiration syndrome, and mortality. For statistical analyses, Fisher’s exact test and
Mann-Whitney U test were employed.
Results: MSL neonates displayed a higher incidence of suspected sepsis compared to controls (57.1% vs. 13.8% p<0.01).
The MSL group had considerably larger rates of culture-proven sepsis (21.4% vs 3.1%, p<0.01). The MSL group had a
much higher rate of having meconium in the lungs with both of those results above. There was no difference in mortality
rates (4.8% versus 1.5%; p=0.56).
Conclusion: Neonates with meconium-stained liquor are at higher risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis. Thus, increased
clinical suspicion and intervention are indicated in such cases
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