Tetanus neonatorum--experience with intrathecal serotherapy at Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In an attempt to lower the mortality rate of neonatal tetanus a study was undertaken to determine whether intrathecal serotherapy influences mortality from this disease. Sixty-six babies with tetanus neonatorum were studied. The mortality rate among babies who received intrathecal anti-tetanus serum (ATS) was 45% compared with 82% in the control group given intramuscular ATS (P congruent to 0.002). Infants who received intrathecal ATS also had fewer complications than controls (P less than 0.001) and the duration of hospital stay for the survivors was 19.3 days compared with 28.7 days for the control group (P less than 0.05). It is concluded that intrathecal ATS is superior to intramuscular ATS in the treatment of neonatal tetanus.