10 June 2023

A global observational study, involving over 3,200 newborn babies diagnosed with sepsis, has highlighted the growing ineffectiveness of antibiotics used for treatment, leading to a significant rise in mortality rates among infants.

The study, published in PLOS Medicine and co-authored by a team of more than 80 researchers, sheds light on the critical issue of antibiotic resistance in at least ten countries, including India. Sepsis, a life-threatening bloodstream infection, affects millions of infants worldwide, with an estimated 3 million cases reported annually. Tragically, 214,000 newborn babies succumb to sepsis every year, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, where the infection has developed resistance to antibiotics.

Conducted from 2018 to 2020, the study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the infections affecting newborns in hospitals, the causative pathogens, the treatment strategies employed, and the underlying factors contributing to increased mortality rates.

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