Biomarkers for neonatal sepsis: recent developments

Abstract

As a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, neonatal sepsis remains a significant global health challenge. Despite recent advances in the management of neonatal sepsis, including use of more potent antibiotics, timely identification continues to be a frequent and challenging problem in the management of the newborn or high-risk neonate in the neonatal intensive care unit. Lack of specific early objective diagnostic evaluations or specific signs and symptoms, especially in the preterm infant, impedes early identification. However, emerging technologies linked with enhanced understanding of the immature and developing neonatal immune system responses to early infection provide an opportunity to develop critically needed biomarkers to improve early identification in this high-risk population. This review will focus on the field of neonatal sepsis biomarker development, identifying current promising biomarkers that have been investigated and widely utilized, as well as provide insight into recent advances and the rapidly evolving technologies that are being exploited in biomarker development to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in neonatal sepsis.