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Updated: Dec 8, 2025
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Burden of infection in Australian infants
Rebecca Rowland1, Zia Sass1, Anne-Louise Ponsonby1,2
1Population Health and Infection and Immunity Themes, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Infections are common in Australian infants, with respiratory infections being most frequent. Factors like maternal antibiotics, older siblings, and childcare influence infection risk, while breastfeeding may offer protection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infections in infancy contribute significantly to childhood morbidity.
- Understanding infection incidence and risk factors is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence, risk factors, and health service utilization for infections in the first 12 months of life.
- To analyze data from a population-derived Australian pre-birth cohort.
Main Methods:
- The Barwon Infant Study recruited 1074 infants antenatally in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
- Infection data were collected via parent report and medical records up to 12 months of age.
- Multiple negative binomial regression was used to identify risk factors for infection.
Main Results:
- The incidence rates were 0.35 episodes/child-month for respiratory infections, 0.04 for conjunctivitis, and 0.04 for gastroenteritis.
- 72.4% of infants visited a general practitioner for infection; 10.4% attended an emergency department.
- Maternal antibiotic exposure, older siblings, and childcare attendance were associated with increased respiratory infections and gastroenteritis. Breastfeeding showed a protective effect against respiratory infections.
Conclusions:
- Respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity in Australian infants.
- Potentially modifiable risk factors for infant infections were identified.
- Most infant infections are managed in primary care, with a notable proportion requiring emergency department visits.
Aim:
To determine the incidence, risk factors and health service utilisation for infection in the first 12 months of life in a population-derived Australian pre-birth cohort.
Methods:
The Barwon Infant Study is a population-derived pre-birth cohort with antenatal recruitment (n = 1074) based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Infection data were collected by parent report, and general practitioner and hospital records at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. We calculated the incidence of infection, attendance at a health service with infection and used multiple negative binomial regression to investigate the effects of a range of exposures on incidence of infection.
Results:
In the first 12 months of life, infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract (henceforth 'respiratory infections'), conjunctivitis and gastroenteritis occurred at a rate of 0.35, 0.04 and 0.04 episodes per child-month, respectively. A total of 482 (72.4%) infants attended a general practitioner with an infection and 69 (10.4%) infants attended the emergency department. Maternal antibiotic exposure in pregnancy and having older siblings were associated with respiratory infection. Childcare attendance by 12 months of age was associated with respiratory infections and gastroenteritis. Breastfeeding, even if less than 4 weeks in total, was associated with reduced respiratory infection.
Conclusion:
Infection, especially of the respiratory tract, is a common cause of morbidity in Australian infants. Several potentially modifiable risk factors were identified, particularly for respiratory infections. Most infections were managed by general practitioners and 1 in 10 infants attended an emergency department with infection in the first year of life.
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