Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight infants with neonatal sepsis: systematic review and meta-analysis
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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Published on: August 12, 2020
1Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. belal.alshaikh@albertahealthservices.ca
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.
