NEONATAL MENINGITIS - A 3-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY AT THE MOUNT-HOPE-WOMENS-HOSPITAL, TRINIDAD, WEST-INDIES

The objective of this 3-year (1988-1990) retrospective study was to report the experience with neonatal meningitis at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Trinidad, West Indies. Neonates were included in the study if organisms were cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or if there was a pleocytosis (greater than or equal to 100/mm(3)) in the CSF. There were 49 neonates with meningitis out of a total of 17 048 live born (LB) infants during the 3-year period to give an overall incidence of 2.87/1000 LB. This was five times higher than the incidence reported in the literature. There were an additional five who were outborns to give a total of 54 cases. There were 34 males (63 per cent) with a mean birth weight of 2389 g. Antenatal risk factors included preterm delivery (50 per cent), prolonged rupture of the amniotic membranes (37 per cent). Associated maternal conditions included hypertension and antepartum haemorrhage (9 per cent). In contrast to other reported studies, there was early onset of the condition (mean age at presentation was 4 days) and the commonest organism found was Group B streptococcus while the least common were the Gram-negative organisms. Also different in the present study was the high percentage (56 per cent) of meningitis associated with Group B septicaemia, the low mortality rate (13) and the low rate of neurological sequelae (40 per cent).