High Rates of "Watch" and "Reserve" Class Antibiotics Used to Treat Infections in Neonates and Infants in Southeast Asia.

We evaluated antibiotic prescribing practices for neonates and infants hospitalized with infections in resource-constrained healthcare settings, where antimicrobial resistance is responsible for significant neonatal morbidity and mortality. A point prevalence survey of 667 admitted infants across 10 clinical sites in Southeast Asia revealed a total of 405 antibiotics were prescribed to 218 infants, with high use of World Health Organization-classified "Watch," "Reserve" and "Not Recommended" antibiotics.