EC Paediatrics

Background: Perinatal listerial infection is the most common clinical syndrome caused by Listeria monocytogenes and includes abortion, still birth, neonatal sepsis, and meningitis. Listeriosis is caused by the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. It can present as a maternal-neonatal infection.

Case Presentation: A female newborn with birthweight of 750 grams was delivered vaginally at 25 weeks of gestation. Both the 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores were 4. Respiratory distress and bradycardia necessitated the insertion of an endotracheal tube and the initiation of ventilation assistance. Newborn infection was resistant to ampicillin and was then treated with vancomycin and gentamycin. However, the infant's condition suddenly deteriorated the next day, and the baby ultimately passed away due to cyanosis and bradycardia.

Conclusion: Listeria in newborn is rare, yet some cases has been addressed in the literature. Early detection and treatment might lead to good outcomes. However, resistant strains are emerging making the management more difficult and worsen the outcome. Mothers’ are advised to avoid foodborne infection with Listeria during pregnancy as this severely affect the pregnancy outcome as reported in the current case.

Keywords: Neonatal Listeriosis; Resistant to Ampicillin

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