An alarming new study reveals that drug-resistant bacteria, known as superbugs, pose a significant threat to newborns in Southeast Asia. According to research published in the Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, these infections can render frontline treatments for neonatal sepsis ineffective. The study highlights a pressing health crisis, with an estimated 5 million deaths globally attributed to antibiotic resistance in 2019 alone.
Researchers analyzed nearly 15,000 blood samples from sick infants at ten hospitals across five countries in Southeast Asia during 2019 and 2020. The findings indicate that a substantial number of infections are caused by bacteria that are resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study’s co-author, Phoebe Williams, a pediatrician at the University of Sydney, emphasizes the severity of the situation:
“Our study highlights the causes of serious infections in babies in countries across Southeast Asia with high rates of neonatal sepsis, and reveals an alarming burden of AMR that renders many currently available therapies ineffective for newborns.”
These concerns are compounded by the fact that many existing treatment guidelines do not reflect local bacterial profiles and resistance patterns. Williams warns that without updated guidelines, mortality rates among newborns are likely to continue rising.
The study also points to a concerning lack of new antibiotics being developed specifically for infants. Co-author Michelle Harrison, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney School of Public Health, notes that it can take approximately ten years for a new antibiotic to be trialed and approved for use in babies.
“With so few new drug candidates in the first place, we need a significant investment in antibiotic development,” Harrison states.
The research indicates that a preponderance of Gram-negative bacteria is responsible for the majority of these infections. These bacteria, including E. coli, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter, account for nearly 80 percent of the infections studied. Gram-negative bacteria are particularly concerning because they possess a natural resistance to certain antibiotics and are more prone to developing further resistance.
Williams adds, “These bugs have long been considered to only cause infections in older babies, but are now infecting babies in their first days of life.”
The urgency surrounding neonatal sepsis often prevents doctors from waiting for lab results to identify the causative bacteria. Instead, they rely on existing research, much of which originates from high-income countries, limiting its applicability in many regions.
The study underscores the critical need for region-specific surveillance to better guide treatment decisions. “We risk reversing decades of progress in reducing child mortality rates if we do not have more locally relevant data,” Harrison cautions.
Additionally, the study found that fungal infections accounted for nearly one in ten serious infections in newborns, a rate significantly higher than that observed in high-income countries. This further emphasizes the necessity for healthcare professionals to prescribe effective treatments that can save lives.
In summary, the rising prevalence of drug-resistant infections in newborns across Southeast Asia poses a significant public health challenge. Immediate action is required to update treatment protocols and invest in antibiotic development to combat this growing threat effectively.
