Prevention of neonatal sepsis.

Neonatal sepsis is a leading infectious cause of infant mortality. While use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis in the United States has led to dramatic declines in perinatal sepsis caused by the bacteria group B streptococcus, interventions to prevent perinatal sepsis due to other causes have not yet been clearly defined. This article synthesizes information on neonatal sepsis disease burden, trends, and risk factors and reviews current and potential approaches to neonatal sepsis prevention.