Sepsis can affect anyone, at any time but it does tend to strike more often people at the extremes of life, the very old and the very young. As a result, children, particularly premature babies and infants, can be more susceptible to developing sepsis. Sometimes incorrectly called blood poisoning, sepsis is the body’s often deadly response to infection. Sepsis kills and disables millions. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with life-changing effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and fatigue, organ dysfunction (organs don’t work properly), and/or amputations.
Thousands of children affected worldwide
In the United States, more than 75,000 children develop severe sepsis each year. This works out to about 200 per day and the number is increasing by 8% every year. Almost 7,000 of these children die – this is more than those who die of pediatric cancers. Sepsis in the developing world is even more serious, causing many more deaths.
Many children who survive sepsis are left with long-term problems. More than 1 in 3 children (34%) who survive experience a change in cognitive skills still at 28 days following their discharge from the hospital. Nearly half return to the hospital at least once after surviving sepsis.
In developing countries, many more children develop sepsis and many more die. Sepsis can occur from infections that occur as a result of unsanitary conditions at birth, infections during pregnancy that are passed on to the newborns, or preventable infections that may be more prevalent in countries with limited vaccinations and medical care.
As with an adult, a child can develop sepsis as the result of any type of infection.
Here are some more facts and statistics:
As many as 8% of pediatric sepsis cases may be missed during emergency department visits.
Children with severe sepsis or septic shock who are Black or Hispanic are more likely to die than non-Hispanic white children.
If you suspect sepsis, call 9-1-1 or go to a hospital and tell your medical professional, “I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SEPSIS.”
Would you like to share your story about sepsis or read about others who have had sepsis? Please visit Faces of Sepsis, where you will find hundreds of stories from survivors and tributes to those who died from sepsis.
Updated July 12, 2021.
How does sepsis occur in children?
Neonatal Sepsis
Neonatal sepsis occurs when a child develops sepsis within a few months of birth (up to 90 days). If the sepsis develops within 24 hours of birth, it is called early onset. Sepsis that develops after delivery is called late-onset neonatal sepsis.
The risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis is increased if:
The membranes rupture (water breaks) more than 24 hours before the baby is delivered.
Babies can develop sepsis after birth if they become infected by bacteria, a virus, or a fungus (rare). Certain situations increase the risk of a baby getting sick. They include:
Being in the hospital for treatment and
Exposure to people who have contagious infections.
The most common infections that can cause sepsis in babies include:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
E. Coli
Candida
Herpes simplex virus
Listeria monocytogenes
Very young babies and those who have medical problems may not be able to receive childhood vaccines at the recommended times. This makes the children vulnerable to catching the diseases. Many of these childhood diseases can lead to severe complications, such as sepsis. The most common ones are:
Rubella (German measles)
Varicella (chicken pox)
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
Sepsis in Older Children
As children get older, their exposure to illness can increase as they attend daycare, go to school, and participate in other activities.
Infected wounds:
Clean any wounds properly and keep them clean. We all have bacteria on our skin, but when it gets into the wound, it could cause an infection. A common wound infection is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, or more specifically, the one called Staphylococcus aureus (s. aureus).
Bacteria can enter the body through something as simple as a scrape on the knee or elbow, or even from a surgical incision. With the advent of the “superbug” or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), there some infections can be much more difficult to treat than others.
Illnesses
Infections can occur in other ways as well. Children, like adults, can develop illnesses such as urinary tract infections, ear infections, pneumonia, even meningitis. Left untreated, these can all lead to sepsis.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of neonatalsepsis are:
Body temperature changes
Breathing problems
Diarrhea
Low blood sugar
Reduced movements
Reduced sucking
Seizures
Slow heart rate
Swollen belly
Vomiting
Yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
In general, signs of sepsis in children include:
High fever (above 100.4 degrees)
General illness or a previous injury, such as a scrape or cut
Shortness of breath
Very rapid heart beat
Drop in or no urine output
People who have survived sepsis often say that they felt the worst they ever felt in their life. For example, they had the worst sore throat of their life, the worst stomach pain, etc.
Best rule of thumb? When in doubt, check with your doctor or bring your child to the emergency for evaluation.
Order your pediatric symptoms of sepsis cards from our online store.
Treatment
Sepsis needs to be suspected and recognized as quickly as possible. The risk of death increases for every hour of delayed treatment.
Treatment is with IV fluids and antibiotics. Other medications, such as those to raise blood pressure may be needed. If your child is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), you may see many machines used to monitor various things, such as body function (heart rate, blood pressure), medications and IV fluids that are being administered, and perhaps a ventilator to help your child breathe.
Prevention
The key to preventing sepsis is to prevent an infection from occurring in the first place. Treat infections as quickly and effectively as possible. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Regular childhood vaccines prevent many illnesses. Cases of meningitis dropped drastically in countries where the HiB vaccine is now routine, for example. If your child cannot be vaccinated because of an underlying problem, it is important that the people around the child be vaccinated, providing a “herd immunity.” To learn more about vaccines and preventable illnesses, visit Sepsis and Prevention: Vaccinations.
The risk of getting an infection also drops with proper hand washing. Thorough, proper, and frequent hand washing with either soap and water or soapless products decrease the number of pathogens that could enter your body.
Proper care of all wounds also reduces infections, even the smallest scrape or cut. A thorough cleaning with soap and water will help remove any bacteria at the wound opening.
Take all infections seriously. Do not hope it will go away. Take action.
If you suspect sepsis, call 9-1-1 or go to a hospital and tell your medical professional, “I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SEPSIS.”
The information here is also available as a Sepsis Information Guide, which is a downloadable format for easier printing.
Would you like to share your story about sepsis or read about others who have had sepsis? Please visit Faces of Sepsis, where you will find hundreds of stories from survivors and tributes to those who died from sepsis.
Updated July 12, 2021.
Pediatric Sepsis Week
Join Sepsis Alliance for Pediatric Sepsis Week, the 3rd week of April, to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis in children, recognize the survivors and honor those who have passed.
Bug is a friendly ladybug who loves to help children learn about preventing infections so they can be healthy. Click below to meet Bug and get kid-friendly resources.
Read stories from sepsis survivors and from people who have lost someone they love to sepsis. More than 1,000 stories cover the many types of infections that can cause sepsis, and the outcomes.
In April 2020 my son came to me and said his leg hurt. I coughed it up to growing pains. The next morning he woke up to a rash and a fever. He said he leg hurt. Called his doctor and was referred to urgent care. The urgent care doctor said it was a virus and let it take its course. And do Google Covid testing sites. Within 24hrs I found my son’s lifeless body, I rushed him to the children’s hospital and that’s when we found out what he really had. If I didn’t check on him that night ... Read Full Story
We called him PJ. He was 7.5 when he passed away. He was diagnosed one day with pneumonia, then the next day I took him back to the doctor because he was declining. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) Seemed to be doing much worse and I was told he had become septic and was dying. He died within hours. I had no clue about sepsis. I had heard about it but honestly it never even crossed my mind. He went to doctor because of his breathing. They gave us a breathing treatment and medicine. We went home and he was sleepy which ... Read Full Story
My 7-month-old daughter passed from sepsis in November 2020. She began to get sick around the end of September without any reason as to why. All her blood work, urine cultures and kidney ultrasounds came back normal. We spent a week in our local PICU on various IV antibiotics and were sent home. The night we were discharged, she declined severely and I rushed her back to the ER and demanded we be sent somewhere else. We were sent to the Children’s hospital a few hours away where Kathryn spent the next 42 days having a port placed, round-the-clock antibiotics, ... Read Full Story
On the morning of April 28, 2018, Nash was a normal, healthy 6-year-old playing in an early morning soccer game. That same evening, we almost lost our sweet boy to sepsis. That Saturday was full of soccer games and celebration – April is a month full of birthdays for our family, including Nash. On that April afternoon we had gone to a family member’s home to celebrate a birthday. While there, Nash began to complain of belly pain and had developed a fever. We took him home and he laid down to rest. As the day progressed his pain increased ... Read Full Story
Our beautiful Haddie gave us 8 months and 13 days of pure joy and sunshine to all that knew her! She was a surviving twin. When she was born, she was in the NICU due to low glucose levels. When she was discharged a week later her papers said they treated her also for newborn sepsis suspected. (Sepsis and Children) We were never aware of this until reviewing medical reports. She had her occasional colds, or teething episodes with low grade fevers. My husband and I took her to the doctor numerous of times for various reasons but we never ... Read Full Story
Sepsis can affect anyone, at any time but it does tend to strike more often people at the extremes of life, the very old and the very young. As a result, children, particularly premature babies and infants, can be more susceptible to developing sepsis. Sometimes incorrectly called blood poisoning, sepsis is the body’s often deadly response to infection. Sepsis kills and disables millions and requires early suspicion and rapid treatment for survival. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.
