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14th April 2025
02:05pm BST
Irish scientists have made a major breakthrough in detecting cases of sepsis in newborn babies.
They confirmed they've found a promising new way to catch sepsis early in both newborns and pregnant women.
The researchers at Galway University Hospital explained that they found that the molecule interleukin-6 may be a powerful indicator of sepsis.
Lead author of the study, Dr Sean Whelan, stated: "IL-6 secretion rises within one to two hours, peaks at six hours and decreases by 24 hours, whereas CRP and PCT peak much later at 48 and 24 hours, respectively."
He added, "This faster, steeper response makes IL-6 a promising biomarker for earlier sepsis detection."
Sepsis can be incredibly dangerous in newborns younger than 28 days. It often occurs because their body is having a life-threatening response to an infection.
Treating newborns as quickly as possible is essential in ensuring they have a full recovery.
Sepsis can cause organ failure in infants and loss of life if not treated quickly.
Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of an infection.
Most patients will make a full recovery if it is treated quickly, but it can be life-threatening, with sepsis causing 11 million deaths worldwide.
Sepsis cannot develop unless you have an infection.
If you or someone you know has an infection and are displaying the following symptoms then you should seek medical care immediately.
The key signs include:
Doctors have stressed that identifying sepsis can be tricky as the symptoms appear in other conditions.
You can find more information on sepsis here.
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