The purpose of this study is to understand whether antibiotics can cause changes in blood cytokine levels or not.Inclusion criteria: All healthy full-term babies, having healthy mothers and normal Apgar scores, suspected of sepsis and candidates for antibiotic treatment in the NICU of Vali-e Asr Hospital.
Exclusion criteria: Infants with positive blood cultures, infants with positive cerebrospinal fluid culture, infants being treated with corticosteroids, infants whose mothers were treated with corticosteroids or magnesium sulphate at least one week prior to delivery, infants whose mothers received antibiotics prior to delivery, cord acidosis and birth asphyxia, infants that are intravenously fed, and infants of ill mothers.
This is an observational before and after pilot study that examines forty healthy full-term babies suspected of sepsis and candidates for antibiotic treatment in the NICU of Vali-e Asr Hospital. This examination involves taking 1 cc of blood from the infants prior to administration of antibiotics and 1 cc twelve hours after administration of the antibiotics. Using the ELISA test, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1, and TNF-α serum levels will be examined.