©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026.
World J Clin Pediatr. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 111423
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111423
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111423
Table 1 Maternal risk factors for neonatal sepsis: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression, n (%)/mean ± SD
| Total (n = 453) | Case (n = 146) | Control (n = 307) | P value | Crude odds ratio with 95%CI | AOR with 95%CI | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Female | 193 (42.6) | 50 (34.2) | 143 (46.6) | 0.013 | 1.6 (1.13-2.48) | 1.9 (1.03-3.5) |
| Male | 260 (57.4) | 96 (65.8) | 164 (53.4) | |||
| Place of delivery | ||||||
| Clean labor room | 233 (51.4) | 74 (50.7) | 159 (51.8) | 0.917 | 1.4 (0.2-8.7) | |
| Operation theater | 220 (48.6) | 72 (49.3) | 148 (48.2) | |||
| Assisted vaginal delivery | ||||||
| No | 420 (92.7) | 115 (78.7)) | 305 (99.3) | 0.02 | 4.8 (1.1-20.5) | 3.4 (1.1-14.9) |
| Forceps | 33 (7.3) | 31 (21.3) | 2 (0.7) | |||
| Maternal age in years | 27.2 ± 5.4 | 26.7 ± 5.4 | 27.4 ± 5.3 | 0.16 | 0.98 (0.94-1.02) | |
| Maternal education | ||||||
| Uneducated | 75 (16.6) | 32 (21.9) | 43 (14) | |||
| Matric | 182 (40.2) | 70 (47.9) | 112 (36.5) | 0.14 | 1.5 (0.8-2.5) | 1.5 (0.6-2.1) |
| High school | 138 (30.5) | 36 (24.7) | 102 (33.2) | 0.003 | 2.4 (1.3-4.4) | 2.0 (1.0-3.9) |
| Graduate and above | 58 (12.8) | 8 (5.5) | 50 (16.3) | < 0.01 | 4.4 (1.8-10.8) | 3.1 (1.1-8.2) |
| Maternal parity | ||||||
| Primigravida | 167 (36.8) | 57 (39) | 110 (37) | 0.36 | 1.15 (0.76-1.72) | |
| Multigravida | 286 (63.2) | 89 (61) | 197 (63) | |||
| ANC visits | ||||||
| < 4 | 46 (10.2) | 29 (19.9) | 17 (5.5) | < 0.01 | 4.2 (2.2-7.9) | 2.9 (1.4-6.5) |
| ≥ 4 | 407 (89.8) | 117 (80.1) | 290 (94.5) | |||
| < 8 | 447 (98.3) | 145 (99.3) | 302 (98.4) | 0.42 | 0.4 (0.04-3.6) | |
| ≥ 8 | 6 (1.3) | 1 (0.7) | 5 (1.6) | |||
| Duration of labor in hours | ||||||
| < 24 | 414 (91.4) | 123 (84.2) | 300 (97.7) | < 0.01 | 8.0 (3.3-19.1) | 6.2 (2.8-17) |
| ≥ 24 | 30 (6.6) | 23 (15.8) | 7 (2.3) | |||
| Duration of rupture of membranes in hours | ||||||
| < 18 | 414 (91.4) | 122 (83.6) | 292 (95.1) | < 0.01 | 3.8 (1.9-7.5) | 3.1 (1.6-6.8) |
| ≥ 18 | 39 (8.6) | 24 (16.4) | 15 (4.9) | |||
| UTI in mother | ||||||
| Yes | 19 (4.2) | 16 (11) | 3 (1) | < 0.01 | 12.5 (3.57-43.5) | 3.5 (2.4-29.4) |
| No | 434 (95.8) | 130 (89) | 304(99) | |||
| Unclean vaginal examination | ||||||
| Yes | 62 (13.7) | 51 (34.9) | 11 (3.6) | < 0.01 | 14.4 (7.24-28.8) | 4.2 (1.6-11) |
| No | 391 (86.3) | 95 (65.1) | 296 (96.4) | |||
| Foul smelling liquor | ||||||
| Yes | 40 (8.7) | 37 (25.3) | 3 (1) | < 0.01* | 34.4 (10.4-114) | 10.3 (1.9-56.4) |
| No | 413 (91.3) | 109 (74.7) | 304 (99) | |||
| Meconium stained liquor | ||||||
| Yes | 83 (18.3) | 33 (22.6) | 50 (16.3) | 0.1 | 1.5 (0.9-2.4) | |
| No | 370 (81.7) | 113 (77.4) | 257 (83.7) | |||
Table 2 Neonatal risk factors for sepsis: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression, n (%)
| Total (n = 453) | Case (n = 146) | Control (n = 307) | P value | COR with 95%CI | AOR with 95%CI | |
| Gestation | ||||||
| Preterm | 157 (34.7) | 84 (57.6) | 73 (23.8) | < 0.01 | 4.9 (1.6-8.2) | 4.3 (2.8-6.6) |
| Term | 296 (65.3) | 62 (42.4) | 234 (76.2) | |||
| Birth weight in grams | ||||||
| ≤ 1500 | 50 (11) | 33 (22.6) | 17 (3.8) | < 0.01 | 4.6 (1.2-7.2) | 3.6 (2.2-5.7) |
| > 1500 | 403 (89) | 113 (77.3) | 290 (94.5) | |||
| < 2500 | 159 (35.1) | 86 (58.9) | 73 (23.8) | < 0.01 | 3.2 (1.0-6.3) | 2.2 (1.0-4.4) |
| ≥ 2500 | 294 (64.9) | 60 (41.1) | 234 (76.2) | |||
| Birth weight centile | ||||||
| Appropriate for gestation | 412 (93.4) | 126 (86.3) | 286 (93.2) | < 0.01 | 3.7 (1.01-5.1) | 2.1 (1.1-4) |
| Small for gestation | 41 (9.1) | 20 (13.7) | 21 (6.8) | |||
| Birth asphyxia | ||||||
| No | 392 (86.5) | 108 (74.0) | 284 (92.5) | < 0.01 | 5.2 (3.1-7.2) | 4.3 (2.4-7.6) |
| Yes | 61 (13.5) | 38 (26.0) | 23 (7.5) | |||
| Resuscitation details | ||||||
| Initial steps only | 6 (9.8) | 2 (5.3) | 4 (17.4) | |||
| Bag and mask | 37 (60.7) | 24 (63.2) | 13 (56.5) | 0.14 | 0.24 (0.04-1.6) | |
| Intubation | 18 (29.5) | 12 (31.5) | 6 (26.1) | 0.2 | 0.27 (0.03-1.95) | |
| APGAR at 5 minutes | ||||||
| ≤ 3 | 22 (36.1) | 16 (42.1) | 6 (26.1) | 0.2 | 2.06 (0.6-6.3) | |
| > 3 | 39 (63.9) | 22 (57.9) | 17 (73.9) | |||
| Surfactant given | ||||||
| Yes | 34 (7.5) | 27 (18.5) | 7 (2.3) | < 0.01 | 11.1 (3.7-26.8) | 9.7 (4.1-22.9) |
| No | 419 (92.5) | 119 (81.5) | 300 (97.7) | |||
| CPAP required | ||||||
| Yes | 134 (29.6) | 98 (67.1) | 36 (11.7) | < 0.01 | 18.4 (10.1-28.3) | 15.4 (9.4-25.1) |
| No | 319 (70.4) | 48 (32.9) | 271 (88.3) | |||
| Duration for CPAP in hours | ||||||
| > 96 | 84 (62.7) | 60 (64.5) | 24 (58.5) | 0.5 | 1.28 (0.6-2.7) | |
| ≤ 96 | 50 (37.3) | 33 (35.5) | 17 (41.5) | |||
| Invasive ventilation required | ||||||
| Yes | 40 (8.8) | 38 (26) | 2 (0.7) | < 0.01 | 58.1 (12-89.8) | 53 (12.7-89) |
| No | 413 (91.2) | 108 (74) | 305 (99.3) | |||
| Apnea | ||||||
| Yes | 27 (6) | 26 (17.8) | 1 (0.3) | < 0.01 | 5.1 (2.6-15) | 4 (2.8-12.9) |
| No | 426 (94) | 120 (82.2) | 306 (99.7) | |||
| Total SNCU stay in days | ||||||
| < 3 | 204 (45) | 9 (6.2) | 195 (63.5) | < 0.001 | 15.2 (3.6-55) | 12.9 (10-53.2) |
| ≥ 3 | 249 (54.9) | 137 (93.8) | 112 (36.5) | |||
| < 7 | 305 (67.3) | 28 (19.2) | 277 (90.2) | < 0.001 | 42 (1.1-99.9) | 38.9 (22.2-68) |
| ≥ 7 | 148 (32.7) | 118 (80.8) | 30 (9.8) | |||
| < 15 | 374 (82.5) | 76 (52) | 298 (97) | < 0.001 | 38.1 (1.1-99.9) | 30 (14.5-63.8) |
| ≥ 15 | 79 (17.5) | 70 (48) | 9 (3) | |||
- Citation: Qureshi MA, Sood M, Thakur P, Sood I. Maternal and neonatal determinants of newborn sepsis: A case-control study in resource-limited settings. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 111423
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2219-2808/full/v15/i1/111423.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111423