Acquired bacterial infection in the newborn.

Sepsis in the neonatal period constitutes a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the physician involved in the care of newborn infants. The paucity of definitive clinical symptoms and signs necessitates a comprehensive knowledge of the pathogenesis and clinical findings of septicemia. Early commencement of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is of utmost importance if inroads are to be made into the high morbidity and mortality rates of this disease entity.