Pneumococcal sepsis and pneumonia in the neonate.

Two neonates had early onset Diplococcus pneumoniae septicemia and pneumonia. Both recovered after intensive respiratory and antibiotic therapy, although a review of the literature indicates that early pneumococcal septicemia has been associated with an extremely high mortality. Pneumococcal septicemia in a one-year period accounted for 12% of all documented neonatal bacteremias. This may indicate an increasing incidence of this organism in newborns.