Early onset neonatal bacterial meningitis: A study of fifty-seven Moroccan newborns

Résumé 0

Background: Bacterial meningitis is one of the most serious early-onset neonatal sepsis infections in newborns. It can cause serious complications, including psychomotor and neurosensory sequelae, which are often irreversible. Aims: To describe the characteristics of early-onset neonatal bacterial meningitis in a group of Moroccan neonates. Methods: All newborns hospitalized at the National Reference Center for Neonatology and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital, University Hospital Center IBN SINA in Rabat, between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016, for the treatment of early-onset bacterial meningitis were included in our study. After selecting medical records of newborns with meningeal localization of EONI (early-onset neonatal infection), a case report form was completed for each newborn. Results: The diagnosis of meningitis was retained in 57 newborns (5 percent). At admission, 32 percent of newborns were aged under 24 hours. The C-reactive protein was positive in 56 newborns (98 percent). The mean value of the C-reactive protein was 54 ± 31 mg/l. Symptomatic newborns accounted for 54 percent of the cases. Lumbar puncture was performed in all cases, and an examination of the cerebrospinal fluid extracted was carried out. Conclusion: The diagnosis of early-onset neonatal bacterial meningitis is difficult because of the absence of specific clinical signs. It requires the clinician to draw on a combination of clinical and biological evidence to make the correct diagnosis and provide care for at-risk newborns without delay.