Study	Reason for exclusion
Adelman 1987a	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Adelman 1987b	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Alinejad 2018	Participants did not have late‐onset neonatal sepsis.
Aronoff 1984	Did not included neonates with sepsis.
Auriti 2005	Both groups received amoxicillin.
Baqui 2013	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Bassetti 1991	Participants were adults.
Begue 1998	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Chartrand 1984	Did not included neonates with sepsis.
Chowdhary 2006	Both groups received the same antibiotics.
Collins 1998	Participants did not have late‐onset neonatal sepsis.
De Louvois 1992	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Deville 2003	Did not have late‐onset sepsis.
Ebrahim 1969	Not a randomised controlled trial.
Faix 1988	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Feigin 1976	Participants did not have late‐onset neonatal sepsis.
Fogel 1983	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Gathwala 2010	Both groups received the same antibiotics.
Gokalp 1991	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Haffejee 1984	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Hall 1988	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Hammerberg 1989	Only included participants with early‐onset neonatal sepsis.
Hansen 1980	Both groups received ampicillin + gentamycin.
Jantausch 2003	Did not have late‐onset sepsis.
Kaplan 2003	Did not have late‐onset sepsis.
Langhendries 1993	Both groups received the same antibiotic.
Lee 2005	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Lönnerholm 1982	Participants were not suspected for sepsis, a severe infection or deep‐seated infection.
Marks 1978	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
McCracken 1976	Both groups received the same antibiotic.
Metsvaht 2010	Included only participants with early‐onset sepsis.
Mir 2017	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Molyneux 2017	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Mulubwa 2020	Both groups received the same antibiotic.
Odio 1987	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Odio 1995	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Oral 1998	Not a randomised controlled trial.
Rohatgi 2017	Both groups received the same antibiotics.
Snelling 1983	Included only participants with early‐onset sepsis.
Taheri 2011	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Tessin 1988	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Tessin 1989	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Tewari 2014	Included only participants with early‐onset sepsis.
Tshefu 2015a	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Tshefu 2015b	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Umaña 1990	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Viganò 1995	Did not have late‐onset sepsis.
Wells 1984	Did not have late‐onset sepsis.
Wiese 1988	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.
Zaidi 2013	Included a mix of early‐ and late‐onset neonatal sepsis. Unable to provide separate data for late‐onset.