Toxic Shock Syndrome in a neonate?

Toxic Shock Syndrome is an acute multisystemic disease, characterized by high fever, hypotension and involvement of the skin and mucous membrane, associated with multisystem dysfunction. It is a rare condition in the paediatric population. We describe a newborn child with asphyxia and meconium aspiration, who developed a temperature of > or =38.9 degrees C, severe hypotension and rash with desquamation, associated with evidence of coagulopathy and renal and muscular dysfunction. Strict CDC criteria of toxic shock syndrome were fulfilled in our patient, with all major criteria verified. These criteria have never been validated in neonates, but in this case some symptoms favour a diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome since they are not associated with birth asphyxia, viral intrauterine infection or other disease. We believe a probable intrapartum transmission occurred through ingestion or aspiration of contaminated amniotic fluid. The patient described in this report is, to our knowledge, one of the youngest described to fulfil all of the strict CDC criteria for Toxic Shock Syndrome.