Investigation of Motor Development and Sensory Processing Skills in Infants With a History of Late-onset Sepsis

Neonatal sepsis is classified as early-onset and late-onset sepsis. Early-onset sepsis occurs within the first 72 hours after birth and is associated with a mortality rate of 10-15%. Late-onset sepsis, on the other hand, is characterized by its onset after the first 72 hours of life in infants who have been exposed to microorganisms in the postnatal environment. Preterm infants are the most vulnerable group in terms of sepsis, and the incidence of hospital-acquired late-onset sepsis can reach up to 40% in extremely preterm neonates. In contrast, community-acquired late-onset sepsis has been predominantly reported in late preterm and full-term infants. Community-acquired late-onset sepsis is the most common form of sepsis among term neonates and accounts for half of all sepsis episodes in infants born at ≥37 weeks of gestation.During infancy, particularly when children begin to crawl and walk, they actively explore their environment and attempt to expand their motor repertoire. However, when examining studies related to sepsis, it appears that assessments conducted during the walking infant period are quite limited, with most research focusing on school-aged and preschool children. Furthermore, existing studies primarily address behavioral problems and motor performance issues.Therefore, considering that this period represents an early stage of development, it is planned to include infants aged 10 to 18 months in the present study. The aim of this study is to evaluate the motor development and sensory processing skills of infants with a history of sepsis and to compare them with their healthy peers without a history of sepsis.