Risk Of Early-onset Sepsis Research Articles

Delivery room resuscitation and short-term outcomes in very preterm infants: a multicenter cross-sectional study in China.

To explore the risk factors of delivery room (DR) resuscitation and assess the association of DR resuscitation with neonatal outcomes in very preterm infants (VPIs). A multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study included VPIs with gestational age (GA) <32 weeks born between January, 2022 and June, 2023 and admitted to neonatal intensive care units of six tertiary hospitals in Shenzhen within 24 h after birth. They were divided into routine care group, positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) group, and endotracheal intubation (ETT) group based on the highest intensity of resuscitation received at birth. The association of antepartum and intrapartum risk factors and short-term outcomes with the intensity of DR resuscitation was evaluated. Of 683 infants included in this study, 170 (24.9%) received routine care, 260 (38.1%) received bag and mask ventilation or T-piece ventilation and 253 (37%) received ETT. Among the antepartum and intrapartum factors, exposure to antenatal steroids (ANS) decreased the likelihood of ETT. Increasing GA decreased the likelihood of receiving a higher level of DR resuscitation. Among the neonatal outcomes, increasing intensity of DR resuscitation was associated with a raise in the risk of Bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Higher levels of DR resuscitation were associated with the risk of early-onset sepsis. ETT was significantly associated with an increased risk of death. Among VPIs, low GA and no ANS use increased the risk of high-intensity DR resuscitation interventions; and those who receiving ETT were associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes.

Early-onset neonatal sepsis diagnosis – still a challenge after 30 years - Part 1

Despite all the advances in diagnosis and treatment, early-onset neonatal sepsis remains a serious and potentially life-threatening condition, with increased morbidity and mortality. The authors review the persistent controversies and challenges surrounding the definitions of neonatal sepsis, neonatal early- and late-onset sepsis, clinical signs and risk factors, and different approaches for identifying neonates at risk for early-onset sepsis. The impact of neonatal early-onset sepsis on short- and long-term outcomes is also resumed.

Effect of Serial Clinical Observation Complemented by Point-of-Care Blood Culture Volume Verification on Antibiotic Exposure in Newborns.

Objective. This study evaluated the effects of serial clinical observation strategy complemented by point-of-care verification of blood culture volume in managing term and near-term newborns at risk for early-onset sepsis. Methods. We used a "before-and-after" approach. Infants born at ≥35 0/7 weeks' gestation were eligible. Our strategy was based on serial clinical observation complemented with point-of-care verification of blood culture volume. Two separate 12-month periods were analyzed. The number of infants exposed to antibiotics started during the first 3 days of life was compared before and after introducing the strategy. Results. During the post-intervention period, 0.6% of infants received antibiotic therapy, compared to 4.1% during the pre-intervention period (P < .001; relative risk [RR]: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.08-0.28). Conclusion. Serial clinical observation complemented with verification of blood culture volume might reduce antibiotic utilization in newborns in the early postnatal period.

Clinical and economic impacts of a modified-observational screening approach to well-appearing infants born to mothers with chorioamnionitis.

Term infants born to mothers with chorioamnionitis are at risk for early-onset sepsis (EOS). We aimed to measure the impact of changing from a categorical to a modified-observational EOS screening approach on NICU admission, antibiotic utilization, and hospitalization costs. Single-center retrospective pre-post cohort study of full-term infants born to mothers with chorioamnionitis. Primary outcomes included NICU admission, antibiotic utilization, and hospitalization costs. Outcomes were adjusted for demographic variables. Budget-impact analysis was performed using bootstrapping with replication. 380 term infants were included (197 categorical; 183 modified-observational). There was a significant decrease in NICU admission and antibiotic utilization (p < 0.05) in the modified-observational cohort but no significant difference in per-patient total hospitalization costs. Budget-impact analysis suggested a high probability of cost savings. A modified-observational approach to evaluating term infants of mothers with chorioamnionitis can reduce NICU admission and unnecessary antibiotic therapy, and may lead to cost-savings.

Utility of the Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis Calculator in a Low-Risk Population.

To compare early-onset sepsis (EOS) risk estimation and recommendations for infectious evaluation and/or empiric antibiotics using a categorical risk assessment versus the Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis Calculator in a low-risk population. Retrospective chart review of late preterm (≥350/7-366/7 weeks' gestational age) and term infants born at the Brooke Army Medical Center between January 1, 2012 and August 29, 2019. We evaluated those born via cesarean section with rupture of membranes (ROM) < 10 minutes. Statistical analysis was performed to compare recommendations from a categorical risk assessment versus the calculator. We identified 1,187 infants who met inclusion criteria. A blood culture was obtained within 72 hours after birth from 234 (19.7%) infants and 170 (14.3%) received antibiotics per routine clinical practice, using categorical risk assessment. Respiratory distress was the most common indication for evaluation, occurring in 173 (14.6%) of patients. After applying the Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis Calculator to this population, the recommendation was to obtain a blood culture on 166 (14%), to start or strongly consider starting empiric antibiotics on 164 (13.8%), and no culture or antibiotics on 1,021 (86%). Utilizing calculator recommendations would have led to a reduction in frequency of blood culture (19.7 vs. 14%, p < 0.0001) but no reduction in empiric antibiotics (14.3 vs. 13.8%, p = 0.53). There were no cases of culture-proven EOS. This population is low risk for development of EOS; however, 19.7% received an evaluation for infection and 14.3% received antibiotics. Utilization of the Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis Risk Calculator would have led to a significant reduction in the evaluation for EOS but no reduction in antibiotic exposure. Consideration of delivery mode and indication for delivery may be beneficial to include in risk assessments for EOS. · Cesarean section with rupture of membranes at delivery confers low risk for EOS.. · Respiratory distress often triggers an EOS evaluation.. · Delivery mode should be considered in EOS risk..

Evaluating safety and effectiveness of the early-onset sepsis calculator to reduce antibiotic exposure in Dutch at-risk newborns: a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

IntroductionNewborns are at risk for early-onset sepsis (EOS). In the Netherlands, EOS affects less than 0.2% of newborns, but approximately 5% are treated with empirical antibiotics. These numbers form an...

Clinico-epidemiological Characteristics and Short-term Outcomes of Neonates Born to COVID-19 Positive Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital in North Karnataka- A Retrospective Study

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection in pregnant women can have important effects on the perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Multiple modes of transmission of infection from mother to the newborn have been suggested as also the increased risk of complications in COVID-19 infected neonates. Aim: To study the clinico-epidemiological characteristics and short-term outcomes of neonates born to mothers infected with COVID-19 in relation to maternal COVID-19 severity and co-morbidities and to compare the same between COVID-19 infected and non infected neonates. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of 174 neonates born to COVID-19 positive mothers admitted and delivered from 1st August 2020 to 31st October 2020, at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), North Karnataka, India. Data was collected from medical records about the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the mothers and their neonates, symptoms and severity of COVID-19 and their management and short-term outcomes. Pearson’s Chi-square or Fisher’s-exact test was used for statistical analysis. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 174, 18 (10.35%) neonates tested positive for COVID-19 by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The rates of pre-maturity and low birth weight amongst all 174 neonates were 17.24% and 24.14%, respectively. There were no significant differences in demographic features, in the need for resuscitation and incidence of complications like prematurity, low birth weight, birth asphyxia, meconium aspiration syndrome, sepsis between COVID-19 infected and non infected neonates. However, an increased risk of Early Onset Sepsis (EOS) (OR– 2.21) in COVID-19 infected neonates. None of the COVID- 19 infected neonates required Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or mechanical ventilation and all were discharged subsequently. In this study there were 3(1.72%) deaths, all among COVID-19 non infected, neonates. Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 infection in neonates born to COVID-19 infected mothers in this study was 10.35%. Most of the infections in neonates were of less severity without a significantly increased need for respiratory support and without significant mortality.

Prediction of intrapartum fever using continuously monitored vital signs and heart rate variability.

Neonatal early onset sepsis (EOS), bacterial infection during the first seven days of life, is difficult to diagnose because presenting signs are non-specific, but early diagnosis before birth can direct life-saving treatment for mother and baby. Specifically, maternal fever during labor from placental infection is the strongest predictor of EOS. Alterations in maternal heart rate variability (HRV) may precede development of intrapartum fever, enabling incipient EOS detection. The objective of this work was to build a predictive model for intrapartum fever. Continuously measured temperature, heart rate, and beat-to-beat RR intervals were obtained from wireless sensors on women (n = 141) in labor; traditional manual vital signs were taken every 3-6 hours. Validated measures of HRV were calculated in moving 5-minute windows of RR intervals: standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) between normal heartbeats. Fever (>38.0 °C) was detected by manual or continuous measurements in 48 women. Compared to afebrile mothers, average SDNN and RMSSD in febrile mothers decreased significantly (p < 0.001) at 2 and 3 hours before fever onset, respectively. This observed HRV divergence and raw recorded vitals were applied to a logistic regression model at various time horizons, up to 4-5 hours before fever onset. Model performance increased with decreasing time horizons, and a model built using continuous vital signs as input variables consistently outperformed a model built from episodic vital signs. HRV-based predictive models could identify mothers at risk for fever and infants at risk for EOS, guiding maternal antibiotic prophylaxis and neonatal monitoring.

Preterm infants at low risk for early-onset sepsis differ in early fecal microbiome assembly

ABSTRACT Antibiotics are administered near-universally to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants after birth for suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS). We previously identified a phenotypic group of VLBW infants, referred to as low-risk for EOS (LRE), whose risk of EOS is low enough to avoid routine antibiotic initiation. In this cohort study, we compared 18 such infants with 30 infants categorized as non-LRE to determine if the lower risk of pathogen transmission at birth is accompanied by differences in microbiome acquisition and development. We did shotgun metagenomic sequencing of 361 fecal samples obtained serially. LRE infants had a higher human-to-bacterial DNA ratio than non-LRE infants in fecal samples on days 1–3 after birth, confirming lower bacterial acquisition among LRE infants. The microbial diversity and composition in samples from days 4–7 differed between the groups with a predominance of Staphylococcus epidermidis in LRE infants and Enterobacteriaceae sp. in non-LRE infants. Compositional differences were congruent with the distribution of virulence factors and antibiotic resistant genes. After the first week, the overall composition was similar, but changes in relative abundance for several taxa with increasing age differed between groups. Of the nine late-onset bacteremia episodes, eight occurred in non-LRE infants. Species isolated from the blood culture was detected in the pre-antibiotic fecal samples of the infant for all episodes, though these species were also found in infants without bacteremia. In conclusion, LRE infants present a distinct pattern of microbiome development that is aligned with their low risk for EOS. Further investigation to determine the impact of these differences on later outcomes such as late-onset bacteremia is warranted.

Conservative management of newborns with 35 weeks or more of gestational age at risk for early-onset sepsis: a Brazilian cohort study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the conservative management of newborns born at ≥35 weeks of gestational age, at risk for early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS). MethodsRetrospective, analytic cohort study (2016 to 2019), including newborns ≥35 weeks of gestational at risk of EOS, asymptomatic at birth, managed conservatively in full rooming-in: serial physical examination and clinical observation for at least 48 h. They were classified into three groups, according to the clinical course: asymptomatic (group A), symptomatic for other reasons (group B), and with sepsis (group C). Risk factors, clinical signs and differential diagnoses of sepsis, length of stay, and discharge conditions were evaluated. ResultsThe authors evaluated 769 asymptomatic newborns at risk of EOS. (mean birth weight 2999 ± 485 g and gestational age 37.6 ± 1.7 weeks, respectively) corresponding to 12.2% of rooming-in admissions. The most prevalent risk factors were colonization by Group B Streptococcus (29%), prolonged rupture membrane duration (21.9%) and preterm labor (21.4%). Most of all of them (53.9%) remained asymptomatic (group A). Group B corresponded for 45.3%, and the most common clinical signs were hypothermia (24.5%), tremors (8.7%) and vomiting (8%). Environmental dysthermia (50.7%), prematurity (20.0%), and feeding intolerance (15.7%) were common in Group B. Laboratory tests were performed in 3.5%. Five patients (one confirmed) comprised group C (0.8/1,000 live births). There were no deaths. The median length of stay was 64 h (IQR 50-93). ConclusionThe rate of clinical/confirmed EOS was low. Most of the symptomatic patients only needed clinical evaluation to rule out sepsis. Management was shown to be safe.

2017 French health authority guidelines for neonates at risk of early-onset sepsis: Adherence and barriers in a tertiary hospital

The objective of this study was to evaluate the adherence to the French Health Authority's 2017 guidelines concerning early-onset sepsis (EOS) in neonates. This 6-month prospective observational study was conducted in 2020 in a tertiary hospital maternity unit. Neonates were classified according to their risk of EOS and the level of appropriate surveillance was analyzed. The risk of EOS was determined for 69.9% of the 1024 included neonates. Of the 123 neonates with a moderate or high risk of EOS, the optimal clinical surveillance was 88%. Even in a tertiary hospital, with training of caregivers, adherence to guidelines was incomplete. Some corrective measures are suggested and should be applied to enhance the adherence.

Management of well appearing infants born to afebrile mothers with inadequate GBS prophylaxis: A retrospective comparison of the three approaches recommended by the COFN.

There are three different approaches set forth by the Committee on the Fetus and Newborn (COFN) for managing asymptomatic neonates born to mothers with inadequate intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) for early-onset Group B Strep (GBS) infection. The first approach is that of categorical risk factor assessments, and recommends that asymptomatic infants born to afebrile mothers with inadequate IAP for GBS be monitored with clinical observation for 36-48 hours. The second approach recommends serial physical examinations and vital signs for 36-48 hours to closely monitor changes in clinical condition for all patients. The Kaiser Permanente EOS risk calculator (SRC) is an example of the third approach, a multivariate risk assessment, and it takes into consideration several perinatal risk factors. This multivariate risk assessment then provides recommendations for reassessment and management based on presume risk of the infant developing or having Early Onset Sepsis (EOS). The aim of our study was to compare these three recently published recommendations from the COFN for the management of asymptomatic neonates born to afebrile mothers with inadequate IAP for GBS. This is a retrospective study of asymptomatic neonates with gestational age ≥35 weeks born to afebrile mothers with indicated inadequate IAP for GBS between April 2017 and July 2020. Management recommendations of the SRC were compared to the recommendations of categorical risk assessment and risk assessment based on clinical condition. A total of 7,396 infants were born during the study period, 394 (5.3%. to mothers with inadequate IAP. Recommendations for these infants according to both the categorical risk factor guideline and the clinical condition guideline include extended, close observation. However, the SRC recommended routine newborn care for 99.7%.f these infants. None of the infants developed EOS. The SRC recommend routine neonatal care without enhanced and prolonged observation for nearly all asymptomatic infants born to afebrile mothers with inadequate IAP. As none of the infants in this cohort had EOS, further studies in a larger cohort are needed to establish the safety of SRC in neonates born to mothers with inadequate IAP.

A Clinical Monitoring Approach for Early Onset Sepsis: A Community Hospital Experience.

A serial clinical examination approach to screen late preterm and term neonates at risk for early onset sepsis has been shown to be effective in large academic centers, resulting in reductions in laboratory testing and antibiotic use. The implementation of this approach in a community hospital setting has not been reported. Our objective was to adapt a clinical examination approach to our community hospital, aiming to reduce antibiotic exposure and laboratory testing. At a community hospital with a level III NICU and >4500 deliveries annually, the pathway to evaluate neonates ≥35 weeks at risk for early onset sepsis was revised to focus on clinical examination. Well-appearing neonates regardless of perinatal risk factor were admitted to the mother baby unit with serial vital signs and clinical examinations performed by a nurse. Neonates symptomatic at birth or who became symptomatic received laboratory evaluation and/or antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic use, laboratory testing, and culture results were evaluated for the 14 months before and 19 months after implementation. After implementation of the revised pathway, antibiotic use decreased from 6.7% (n = 314/4694) to 2.6% (n = 153/5937; P < .001). Measurement of C-reactive protein decreased from 13.3% (n = 626/4694) to 5.3% (n = 312/5937; P < .001). No cases of culture-positive sepsis occurred, and no neonate was readmitted within 30 days from birth with a positive blood culture. A screening approach for early onset sepsis focused on clinical examination was successfully implemented at a community hospital setting resulting in reduction of antibiotic use and laboratory testing without adverse outcomes.

Bacterial DNA detection in very preterm infants assessed for risk of early onset sepsis

The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic ability of multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in very preterm infants assessed for risk of early onset neonatal sepsis (EOS). Prospective observational cohort study. Blood samples of preterm neonates≤32weeks of gestation were evaluated by commercial multiplex real-time PCR within 2h after delivery. The definition of EOS was based on positive blood culture and clinical signs of infection or negative blood culture, clinical signs of infection and abnormal neonatal blood count and serum biomarkers. Among 82 subjects analyzed in the study, 15 had clinical or confirmed EOS. PCR was positive in four of these infants (including the only one with a positive blood culture), as well as in 15 of the 67 infants without sepsis (sensitivity 27%, specificity 78%). Out of 19 PCR positive subjects, Escherichia coli was detected in 12 infants (63%). Statistically significant association was found between vaginal E.coli colonization of the mother and E.coli PCR positivity of the neonate (p=0.001). No relationship was found between neonatal E.coli swab results and assessment findings of bacterial DNA in neonatal blood stream. Multiplex real-time PCR had insufficient diagnostic capability for EOS in high risk very preterm infants. The study revealed no significant association between PCR results and the diagnosis of clinical EOS. Correlation between maternal vaginal swab results and positive PCR in the newborn needs further investigation to fully understand the role of bacterial DNA analysis in preterm infants.

84 Looking back to move forward; can fetal placental inflammatory response play a role in risk of sepsis and clinical decision making in preterm infant

Abstract Primary Subject area Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Background Sepsis adversely impacts the survival of very low birth weight infants (VLBW), with a mortality risk up to 50%. Its diagnosis in premature infants is challenging. Conversely, prolonged antibiotic use is associated with perilous potential consequences, propelling the need to better identify those at risk of sepsis. The presence of a histological intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI) response may be associated with an increased risk of early onset sepsis (EOS). Currently, it is unknown how the diagnosis of histological IAI impacts the risk of sepsis. Objectives Our research goal is to explore histological fetal and maternal inflammation in the placenta in VLBW infants and to evaluate if specific recommendations about antibiotic management of VLBW infants with histological fetal response can be proposed. Design/Methods Retrospective cohort study of all infants &amp;lt; 1500 g born to a mother with histologically confirmed IAI. Demographic information about the pregnancy, delivery and postnatal course up to 28 days of life was extracted. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to compare the characteristics of infants with histological fetal response using χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test or ANOVA. Results Seventy-three mother-baby pairs were reviewed. EOS prevalence (19%) in our IAI group of VLBW infants is much higher than EOS observed in all VLBW infants from the Canadian Neonatal Network database (below 3%). In our cohort, the majority had fetal inflammatory stage 1 (31.6%) and fetal inflammatory grade 0 (50%). There was no statistically significant distribution amongst the fetal stages or grades. Time to sepsis event analysis showed that the earlier fetal inflammatory grade was associated with positive cultures occurring earlier, while in the later grades there demonstrated longer latency to positive cultures. This trend was also true when looking at the maternal inflammatory stages. Nine infants who had antibiotics discontinued from day of life (DOL) 2-5 developed a positive blood culture ≤ DOL8. Conclusion Our results suggest that the presence of mild fetal inflammatory changes is associated with earlier positive cultures. We hypothesize that later grades may be associated with longer infection exposure leading to prolonged maternal antibiotics, resulting in less EOS. Majority of positive cultures were within the 3-8 day window, suggesting a role of knowing the fetal inflammatory response when deciding duration of antibiotic treatment.

Asymptomatic full-term infants born to women with chorioamnionitis may not need routine antibiotics.

While infants with early-onset sepsis require antibiotics, there is little evidence to support their routine use in asymptomatic infants exposed to maternal chorioamnionitis. We aimed to ascertain the incidence of culture-proven sepsis in full-term infants exposed to chorioamnionitis and to determine whether asymptomatic infants need routine antibiotic treatment. This study was retrospective. Included were all full-term infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit between 1January 2017 and 31May 2018 who were given intravenous antibiotics for maternal chorioamnionitis. After identifying eligible infants, relevant maternal and infant data were collected from our medical records and the Neonatal Intensive Care Units Database. We selected 167 term infants from 7736 deliveries. The incidence of chorioamnionitis was 21 per 1000 deliveries. The mean gestational age was 39weeks (range 37-41), and 57% infants were male. Asymptomatic infants (76%) received intravenous antibiotics for an average of 2days compared to 4days in the symptomatic group (24%), p<0.001. No infant died or developed culture-positive sepsis. The risk of early-onset sepsis in well-appearing term infants of mothers with chorioamnionitis is low. Further studies are mandatory to determine whether asymptomatic infants of mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis need antibiotic treatment.

Early-onset sepsis: a cohort study comparing serial clinical observation with laboratory testing.

Early onset sepsis (EOS) remains a serious and potentially fatal illness. We aimed to demonstrate that serial clinical observation (SCO) is a feasible strategy associated with fewer laboratory evaluations and unnecessary antibiotic use. We compared the admissions and antibiotic therapy in neonates ≥35 weeks' gestation at risk for EOS in a prospective cohort after the implementation of a new protocol based on SCO (n = 381) with a historical cohort which received laboratory testing (n = 417). There was a significant reduction in admissions for suspected sepsis (7.2% vs 2.9%, p = 0.006) and the use of antibiotics (6.1% vs 0.7%, p = 0.000) in the cohort based on SCO. There was no delay in diagnosis. SCO in neonates ≥35 weeks' gestation at risk for EOS, including chorioamnionitis-exposed infants, is a feasible measure that reduces laboratory evaluations and the overuse of antibiotics respecting the bonding mother-infant.

Antibiotic stewardship in NICU: De-implementing routine CRP to reduce antibiotic usage in neonates at risk for early-onset sepsis.

Antibiotic overuse is common in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). We evaluated the change in antibiotic utilization rate (AUR) by eliminating routine CRP in the management of early-onset sepsis (EOS). Retrospective before-after cohort study in a Level 3B NICU. We made the following practice changes in the management of EOS: (1) stop routine CRP and (2) implement an automatic stop order (ASO) for antibiotics at 48 h. We compared the AUR, defined as any antibiotic use per 1000 patient days before and after practice change. There was an absolute reduction of 30% in AUR and a decrease in the proportion of neonates receiving antibiotics from the day of life 3-6 in postintervention period. We did not identify any case of partially treated EOS with change in practice. Elimination of routine CRP and ASO implementation for antibiotics in neonates at risk for EOS decreased AUR.

Case 2: Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis in a Term Neonate

Case 2: Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis in a Term Neonate

Early Onset Sepsis Risk Calculator and Vitamin D Level in Newborn Exposed to Premature Rupture of Membranes

Background: Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Aim of work: Study the diagnostic value of early-onset sepsis risk calculator (EOSR) and vitamin D as markers for early diagnosis of sepsis among the newborn infants > 34 weeks who were exposed to premature rupture of membrane (PROM). Patients and Methods: This observational case-control study included 100 newborn infants > 34 weeks of gestation. Newborn infants were assigned into two groups according to the development of sepsis and exposure to PROM: septic and control groups. Kaiser EOSR calculator was used. Vitamin D was estimated by ELISA. Results: There was a significant increase of EOSR calculator mean values in the septic group than the control group at birth and after clinical examination. The median ± IQR was 10.26 (5.3-24) per 1000/birth at birth in the sepsis group and 0.47(0.39 – 0.67) in the control group. EOSR calculator was 63.2 (25.5 – 142.6) per 1000/births after clinical examination in the septic group and 0.19(0.16 – 0.27) in the control group, P-value was < 0. 001. There was a significant decrease in vitamin D in the septic group (8.57 ± 9.14 ngL) than the control group (50.61 ± 12.55ngL), the P-value was 34 weeks of gestation. Estimation of vitamin D in neonates with equivocal EOSR calculator score may assist in the early management.