Neonatal Sepsis-Induced Coagulopathy in the Light of Developmental Hemostasis: Friend or Foe?

TL;DR

This paper reviews how neonatal sepsis affects coagulation and highlights the unique challenges of managing coagulopathy in infants.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of developmental hemostasis in the context of neonatal sepsis.

Findings

Neonates, especially preterm infants, have distinct hemostatic mechanisms compared to adults.

Neonatal sepsis can trigger significant coagulation abnormalities with long-term consequences.

Understanding developmental hemostasis is crucial for managing neonatal coagulopathy.

Abstract

The concept of ‘developmental hemostasis’ from birth to infancy and onwards to childhood and adulthood was introduced in the 1980s and is used to indicate the fundamental discrepancies of hemostatic mechanism between children and adults. The underlying differentiations are more pronounced in term and even more in preterm neonates. Hemostatic alterations tend to improve throughout childhood and adolescence but still imply a great example of the basic concept that children do not simply represent small adults. Many neonatal coagulation disorders lead to severe morbidities, such as intraventricular hemorrhage and intracerebral infarct, with critical consequences on long-term neurodevelopmental outcome. As the limits of viability have decreased and many preterm and severely affected neonates survive and grow up, a broad understanding of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications in neonates is very important, in order to provide prompt identification and treatment. Coagulation abnormalities are usually induced by specific pathophysiologic disorders, and neonatal sepsis is a significant trigger of hemostatic derangement. Despite the initial protective role of coagulation activation during the early stages of sepsis, ultimately hemostatic abnormalities exert a substantial impact on clinical outcome and prognosis. This review explores developmental aspects of coagulation, particularly in relation to neonatal sepsis.

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