Limitations of the risk factor based approach in early neonatal sepsis evaluations.

Aim: Guidelines for detection of early neonatal sepsis employ a risk factor approach combined with laboratory parameters. In an era of increasing intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), we re-assessed the approach as a whole and each of the risk factors individually.

Method: This retrospective study included infants with risk factors for sepsis or those treated with antibiotics or who had documented early sepsis.