Neonatal Meningococcal Meningitis and Meningococcemia

Abstract

Meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia are relatively common entities in children. Neonatal meningitis caused by<i>Neisseria meningitidis</i>is quite rare, however, and the outcome is often fatal. Furthermore, to our knowledge, recovery from meningococcemia has yet to be reported in a neonate. We describe a 2-week-old boy with meningococcemia and meningococcal meningitis whose condition was successfully treated, but in whom a colonized contact was never identified. <i>Report of a Case</i>.—A 2,250-g boy, first of a pair of monozygotic twins, was born by spontaneous vaginal delivery after a 38-week gestation to a 31-year-old, gravida 4, para 3 woman. Apgar scores were 7 and 9 at one and five minutes, respectively. A previous full-term pregnancy resulted in the unexplained birth of a stillborn male infant. This pregnancy, labor, and delivery were unremarkable. The infant was discharged in apparently good condition at 7 days of age to his parents, with his twin brother.