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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Comparison of early-onset neonatal sepsis caused by Escherichia coli and group B Streptococcus
Kathleen Mayor-Lynn1, Víctor Hugo González-Quintero, Mary Jo O'Sullivan
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Fla, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to compare maternal characteristics and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates that are associated with early-onset neonatal sepsis that is caused by group B Streptococcus and Escherichia coli.
Study Design:
This was a retrospective review of newborn infants with a positive blood culture (and/or cerebrospinal fluid) that was positive for either E coli or group B Streptococcus during the first week of life. Data were abstracted from maternal and neonatal medical records.
Results:
Among 28,659 deliveries during the study period, 102 episodes of early-onset neonatal sepsis were identified, 61 of which were caused by group B Streptococcus and 41 of which were caused by E coli. E coli sepsis cases had a lower birth weight, a higher percentage with 5-minute Apgar score <7, and a longer stay in the hospital neonatal intensive care unit and required mechanical ventilation more frequently. Death after early-onset neonatal sepsis with E coli was also more frequent.
Conclusion:
Early-onset sepsis with E coli is associated with more morbidity and a higher mortality rate compared with early-onset group B Streptococcus.
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