SynthesisBMJ open2022
Risk factors for neonatal sepsis in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Incidence of neonatal sepsis among HIV exposed neonates of mothers on integrase strand transfer inhibitors in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Etiology, prevalence, and mortality of sepsis among children under five years in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Risk factors for sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Determinants of neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse newborn conditions.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- The burden of neonatal sepsis and its risk factors in Africa. a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence and factors associated with maternal and neonatal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- Determinants of septic arthritis among neonates admitted to Adama comprehensive specialized hospital, Adama, Ethiopia, a case control study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Lactic Acid Bacteria-derived Bacteriocins: A Promising Antimicrobial Strategy against Multidrug-resistant for Neonatal Sepsis Pathogens.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Burden, risk factors, and emerging microbiological trends of Gram-negative neonatal sepsis in Jordan: a retrospective cohort study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Burden, clinical characteristics, and determinants of neonatal sepsis in a tertiary hospital in North-Central Nigeria: a retrospective study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Low Birth Weight and Associated Factors in Sudan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Article
- Retrospective Study of Pathogen Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance in 283 Neonates with Bloodstream Infections at a Grade-A Tertiary Hospital in China, 2021-2024.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- Development and internal validation of a nomogram for early prediction of hospital-acquired ESKAPE colonization or infection in very preterm infants using indicators available within 24 hours.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Clinical, laboratory, and microbiological differences between early- and late-onset neonatal sepsis in preterm infants: a cross-sectional study in Vietnam.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Prevalence and risk factors of neonatal sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit at Soroti Regional Referral hospital, Uganda: a retrospective study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Neonatal pneumocephalus secondary to meningitis: a case report and literature review.BMC pediatrics · 2025Review
- Clinical and Microbiological Profile of Culture-Positive Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Care Center in North India.Cureus · 2025Article
- Changes in the contributions of risk factors to under-five mortality in low- and lower-middle-income countries (1997-2022): an analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2025Article
- Lessons From the Survival of an Extremely Preterm Neonate Despite Challenges in a Country Where Gestational Age of Viability Is 28 Weeks.Clinical case reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo identify the risk factors for neonatal sepsis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, African Index Medicus and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for observational studies from January 2010 to August 2020.
settingSub-Saharan Africa, at all levels of healthcare facilities.
participants'Neonates' (<28 days of age) at risk of developing either clinical and/or laboratory-dependent diagnosis of sepsis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Identification of any risk factors for neonatal sepsis.
resultsA total of 36 studies with 23 605 patients from secondary or tertiary level of care facilities in 10 countries were included. Six studies were rated as good quality, 8 as fair and 22 as poor. Four studies were omitted in the meta-analysis due to insufficient data. The significant risk factors were resuscitation (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.36 to 5.35), low birth weight <1.5 kg (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.59 to 7.13) and 1.5-2.5 kg (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.83), low Apgar score at the first minute (OR 3.69, 95% CI 2.34 to 5.81) and fifth minute (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.45), prematurity <37 weeks (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.86), no crying at birth (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.42 to 8.55), male sex (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.67), prolonged labour (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.27), premature rupture of membranes (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.47), multiple digital vaginal examinations (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.89), meconium-stained amniotic fluid (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.69), intrapartum maternal fever (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.18 to 4.39), foul-smelling vaginal discharge (OR 3.31, 95% CI 2.16 to 5.09) and low socioeconomic status (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.35). We found considerable heterogeneity in the meta-analysis of 11 out of 15 identified risk factors.
conclusionMultiple risk factors for neonatal sepsis in Sub-Saharan Africa were identified. We revealed risk factors not listed by the WHO guidelines. The included studies overall had high risk of bias and high heterogeneity and thus, additional research of high quality is needed. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020191067.
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