Determinants of nosocomial infection in 6 neonatal intensive care units: an Italian multicenter prospective cohort study.

Background: Nosocomial infections are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of nosocomial infections in NICUs and to assess the risk of nosocomial infection related to the therapeutic procedures performed and to the clinical characteristics of the neonates at birth and at admission to the NICU, taking into account the time between the exposure and the onset of infection.

Design: A multicenter, prospective cohort study.