SynthesisThe Lancet. Infectious diseases2014
Estimates of possible severe bacterial infection in neonates in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and Latin America for 2012: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 171 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
171 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 317 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neonatal sepsis in Ethiopia: unveiling the persistent burden through systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy of tachypnoea for predicting mortality and identifying sepsis in young infants aged 0-59 days: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical Signs Associated With Mortality and Sepsis in Young Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Effective treatment coverage for sick young infants with possible serious bacterial infection when referral not feasible in low-and middle-income countries: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Probiotics for preventing neonatal sepsis in preterm neonates: a systematic review and meta-analysis for clinical practice.Epidemiology and health · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria among neonates suspected for sepsis in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Pooled it
- Group B streptococcus infection during pregnancy and infancy: estimates of regional and global burden.The Lancet. Global health · 2022Pooled it
- Neonatal sepsis and its associated factors in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of public health · 2020Pooled it
- Evaluation of the Coverage of 3 Antibiotic Regimens for Neonatal Sepsis in the Hospital Setting Across Asian Countries.JAMA network open · 2020Pooled it
- Reviewing the WHO guidelines for antibiotic use for sepsis in neonates and children.Paediatrics and international child health · 2018Pooled it
- Quality improvement initiatives for hospitalised small and sick newborns in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.Implementation science : IS · 2018Pooled it
- In-service training for health professionals to improve care of seriously ill newborns and children in low-income countries.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Burden of bacterial resistance among neonatal infections in low income countries: how convincing is the epidemiological evidence?BMC infectious diseases · 2015Pooled it
- Prevalence of early-onset neonatal infection among newborns of mothers with bacterial infection or colonization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2015Pooled it
- Antiseptic Cleansing to Reduce Vertical Transmission of Pathogens to Neonates: The NeoVT-AMR Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Trial
- Etiology of severe invasive infections in young infants in rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Antenatal Dexamethasone for Early Preterm Birth in Low-Resource Countries.The New England journal of medicine · 2020Trial
- Feasibility of manual white blood cell counts as a predictor of neonatal sepsis in a low-resource setting.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2020Trial
111 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 6 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBacterial infections are a leading cause of the 2·9 million annual neonatal deaths. Treatment is usually based on clinical diagnosis of possible severe bacterial infection (pSBI). To guide programme planning, we have undertaken the first estimates of neonatal pSBI, by sex and by region, for sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and Latin America.
methodsWe included data for pSBI incidence in neonates of 32 weeks' gestation or more (or birthweight ≥1500 g) with livebirth denominator data, undertaking a systematic review and forming an investigator group to obtain unpublished data. We calculated pooled risk estimates for neonatal pSBI and case fatality risk, by sex and by region. We then applied these risk estimates to estimates of livebirths in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and Latin America to estimate cases and associated deaths in 2012.
findingsWe included data from 22 studies, for 259 944 neonates and 20 196 pSBI cases, with most of the data (18 of the 22 studies) coming from the investigator group. The pooled estimate of pSBI incidence risk was 7·6% (95% CI 6·1-9·2%) and the case-fatality risk associated with pSBI was 9·8% (7·4-12·2). We estimated that in 2012 there were 6·9 million cases (uncertainty range 5·5 million-8·3 million) of pSBI in neonates needing treatment: 3·5 million (2·8 million-4·2 million) in south Asia, 2·6 million (2·1 million-3·1 million) in sub-Saharan Africa, and 0·8 million (0·7 million-1·0 million) in Latin America. The risk of pSBI was greater in boys (risk ratio 1·12, 95% CI 1·06-1·18) than girls. We estimated that there were 0·68 million (0·46 million-0·92 million) neonatal deaths associated with pSBI in 2012.
interpretationThe need-to-treat population for pSBI in these three regions is high, with ten cases of pSBI diagnosed for each associated neonatal death. Deaths and disability can be reduced through improved prevention, detection, and case management.
fundingThe Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through grants to Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) and Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives programme.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.