Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis Linked to Childhood Epilepsy

Follow Drugslib on

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 11, 2025.

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Early-onset neonatal sepsis and meningitis are associated with an increased risk for childhood epilepsy, according to a study published online July 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Mads Andersen, M.D., from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues examined the association between early-onset neonatal infection and childhood epilepsy in a nationwide, population-based, register-based cohort study of all Danish live-born singletons between 1997 and 2013 with at least 35 completed gestational weeks at birth without major congenital anomalies.

The median gestational age was 40 weeks among 981,869 children (51 percent male). Of these, 8,154 and 152 (0.8 and <0.1 percent) were diagnosed with sepsis and meningitis, respectively. The researchers found that 257 and 32 children had culture-positive sepsis and culture-positive meningitis, respectively. The incidence rate of epilepsy was 1.6 and 0.9 per 1,000 person-years for children with diagnosed sepsis and those without an infection, respectively, resulting in an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.85. An increased risk for epilepsy was also seen in association with culture-positive sepsis (incidence rate ratio, 2.70), while the risks were highest in children with meningitis and with culture-positive meningitis (incidence rate ratios, 9.85 and 16.04, respectively).

"These findings suggest that improved prevention and treatment of early bacterial infections may help reduce the risk of childhood epilepsy," the authors write.

One author disclosed receiving grants from MinervaX Aps.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-07-12 06:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords