COMPARISON OF SEPSIS SCRENNING BETWEEN CORD BLOOD AND NEONATAL BLOOD IN NEONATES WITH RISK FACTORS FOR EARLY ONSET NEONATAL SEPSIS

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Neonatal sepsis remains a formidable challenge in neonatology, accounting for a substantial portion of 
global infant mortality. Despite its global impact, neonatal sepsis contributes to an alarming 50% of 
deaths in developing nations. This study compares parameters such as CBC, CRP between neonatal 
blood and umbilical blood in neonates with risk factors for early onset neonatal sepsis and explores 
the significance of umbilical cord blood as a diagnostic tool for diagnosing early onset sepsis.
METHODOLOGY:
It’s a cross-sectional study conducted at Vinayaka Mission’s Kirupananda Variyar Medical College 
and Hospital between January 2022 and December 2022, and focuses on 150 neonates admitted to the 
neonatal unit with risk factors for early onset sepsis. Ethical considerations and privacy maintenance 
were paramount throughout the study.
RESULTS:
Out of 150 participants’ mothers, 13(9%) had maternal fever, 55(37%) experienced rupture of 
membranes for more than 18 hours, 64(43%) had single unclean or more than 3 sterile vaginal 
examinations during labor and 41(27%) experienced prolonged labor. Clinical sepsis was diagnosed 
in 50(33%) neonates, with Staph aureus infections dominating. Sepsis indicators like total count, 
absolute neutrophil count and CRP showed positive corelation between umbilical and neonatal blood 
with statistical significance (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION:
Hematological indicators demonstrated similarity in umbilical and neonatal blood, suggesting timeefficient diagnostic potential. Umbilical cord blood proved as a significant aiding tool in diagnosing 
bacterial sepsis in high-risk newborns