Question
The newborn developed a fever of about 38.5 degrees on the second day of life and was referred to a pediatrician for examination. The blood test results were normal, with only slight jaundice. The doctor diagnosed pneumonia and jaundice and recommended blue light therapy, but the parents did not agree. On the fourth day, the blood test confirmed sepsis, possibly accompanied by purulent meningitis. After consulting with a doctor in Guangzhou, the other party indicated that it might be due to umbilical cord infection causing sepsis, and no obvious pneumonia symptoms were present.
Answer
Neonatal sepsis may be accompanied by symptoms such as jaundice, lung infection, and fever. Treatment primarily involves using antibiotics for anti-infection therapy. Jaundice is just one symptom of the disease and not the cause of sepsis. The pathogenesis of sepsis is diverse, with umbilical cord infection being just one of them. Without conclusive evidence, it is difficult to determine that sepsis is caused by umbilical cord infection unless there are obvious symptoms such as purulent discharge, odor, or swelling, and the same bacteria are detected from umbilical cord secretion and blood culture.