'Antibiotic-resistant infections' are affecting babies in the 'first days of life'

Scientists have issued a clear warning about a troubling increase in newborns with antibiotic-resistant infections. While the studied illnesses were long thought to affect primarily older babies, it's claimed they are now impacting infants within their 'first days of life'.

The new research, conducted by Australia's University of Sydney, examined nearly 15,000 blood samples from ill infants in 2019 and 2020. These samples were collected from 10 hospitals across five Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesiaand the Philippines.

Worryingly, the team claimed that most infections uncovered were 'unlikely to respond' to currently applied treatments recommended by the World Health Organisation. This issue is only worsened by the lack of new antimicrobial drugs being developed specifically for infants and babies.

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Associate Professor Phoebe Williams, senior author of the study, said: "Our study highlights the causes of serious infections in babies in countries across Southeast Asia with high rates of neonatal sepsis, and reveals an alarming burden of AMR that renders many currently available therapies ineffective for newborns.

"Guidelines must be updated to reflect local bacterial profiles and known resistance patterns. Otherwise, mortality rates are only going to keep climbing."

Antibiotics are medications designed to treat and prevent specific bacterial infections. They function by killing bacteria or stopping their spread, but they are not effective against all types of infections.

Currently, the NHS and other health organisations are working to decrease antibiotic use, especially for minor health problems. This initiative is motivated by the risk of antibiotic resistance, where bacteria evolve to become resistant, rendering the drugs used to treat infections ineffective.

As part of the new research, scientists examined the collected samples to determine if the infections were caused by 'gram-positive' or 'gram-negative bacteria'. These terms refer to the bacteria's cell structure and their potential to develop antibiotic resistance.

Overall, they found that gram-negative bacteria, such as Acinetobacter and E. Coli, were responsible for 80% of the infections. These forms of bacteria were deemed more likely to spread and develop resistance to antibiotics.

"These bugs have long been considered to only cause infections in older babies, but are now infecting babies in their first days of life," Associate Professor Williams continued.

In light of these concerns, the university's research team is now advocating an 'urgent overhaul' of diagnostic and treatment guidelines for newborn babies. When treating infants, doctors in these countries often cannot wait for lab test results to determine the cause of the infection and must instead rely on informed estimates based on existing data.

The scientists argued that such data often originates from high-income populations and different demographics, which are frequently not relevant to the area in question. Currently, it also takes roughly 10 years for a new antibiotic to undergo trials and approval for use in babies, highlighting the urgent need for these changes.

Co-author Michelle Harrison explained: "We need more region-specific surveillance to guide treatment decisions. Otherwise, we risk reversing decades of progress in reducing child mortality rates.

"Our results also revealed fungal infections caused nearly one in 10 serious infections in babies – a much higher rate than in high-income countries. We need to ensure doctors are prescribing treatments that have the best chance at saving a baby’s life."