Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight Infants with Neonatal Sepsis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective: To study the impact of neonatal sepsis on the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies comparing neurodevelopmental outcomes in VLBW infants exposed to culture-proven sepsis in the neonatal period with similar infants without sepsis.

Result: Seventeen studies involving 15,331 infants were included in the meta-analysis. Sepsis in VLBW infants was associated with an increased risk of one or more long-term neurodevelopmental impairments (odds ratio (OR) 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65 to 2.65) including cerebral palsy (CP; OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.78 to 2.45). Heterogeneity (I(2)=36.9%; P=0.06) between the studies was significant and related to variations in patient characteristics, causative pathogens and follow-up methods. Sensitivity analyses based on study design, follow-up rate and year of birth were not significantly different from the overall analysis.

Conclusion: The meta-analysis suggests that sepsis in VLBW infants is associated with a worse neurodevelopmental outcome including higher incidence of CP.