Neonatal hospital-acquired infection

[Marquetta]

Some infections are acquired after admission to the nursery rather than from the mother in utero or intrapartum. For some infections (eg, group B streptococci, herpes simplex virus [HSV]) it may not be clear whether the source is maternal or the hospital environment.
Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infection is primarily a problem for premature infants and for term infants with medical disorders requiring prolonged hospitalization. Healthy, term neonates have infection rates lt; 1%. For neonates in special care nurseries, the incidence increases as birth weight decreases. The most common nosocomial infections are central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and hospital-acquired pneumonia.
(See also Overview of Neonatal Infections.)