Fig 1. Flow diagram of group allocation of the 50 infants enrolled in the study.

During the study period (i.e. day of life 4 until day of life 28), 25 infants were evaluated for sepsis. Infants with septicemia represent the culture positive group (n = 7). Infants with clinical features of infection, a negative blood culture and antibiotic treatment for at least 5 days were allocated to the clinical sepsis group (n = 10) and infants with evaluation for sepsis who were subsequently proven not to be infected were allocated to the indeterminate group (n = 8). The control group consisted of the remaining 25 infants without sepsis evaluation.