White blood cell and neutrophil trends in likely early-onset neonatal sepsis: a sex-stratified analysis before and after antibiotic therapy
Introduction Early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) requires rapid diagnosis, yet the interpretation of white blood cell (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is complicated by physiological postnatal changes. While sex differences in neutrophil responses are known in older populations, limited data exist in neonates....