[Treatment of neonatal infections: the place of cephalosporins].

The most commonly used antibiotic combination as a first-line treatment in neonates is ampicillin and an aminoglycoside. The increasing resistance of E. coli to ampicillin requires another choice. Good activity against group B Streptococci and E. coli, good CSF penetration and fewer side-effects are in favour of third generation cephalosporins as part of the antibiotic therapy. If a Listeria infection has not been excluded at the beginning of treatment, a triple combination may be given: ampicillin + third generation cephalosporin + aminoglycoside during the first 48 hours. The prognosis of enterobacterial meningitis has improved with third generation cephalosporins. As the other beta-lactam antibiotics, they modify the intestinal microbial ecosystem.