International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
Effect of duration of rupture of membranes on early-onset neonatal sepsis and short-term outcomes
Background: Early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) remains a major contributor to neonatal mortality, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. Prolonged rupture of membranes (ROM) is a recognized risk factor, but integrated Indian data linking graded ROM duration, culture-confirmed sepsis and biomarkers such as red cell distribution width (RDW) remain limited. To evaluate the effect of ROM duration on EOS and short-term outcomes and the diagnostic utility of RDW, alone and combined with blood cultu …