Grant: Project Grant

Infants, especially those born early, are at high risk of infections. In the newborn intensive care units of hospitals, antibiotics are often given to protect these little ones from harmful germs. However, when babies get a lung infection from using breathing machines, there is no single, widely-accepted way to diagnose or treat it worldwide. Because of this, different hospitals might report different numbers of infections, and babies might get more antibiotics than they actually need. This is worrying because overuse can make these medicines less effective over time and can lead to longer hospital stays. Our research team will use expanded data from Canadian Neonatal Network to understand how often lung infections are diagnosed, how antibiotics are used, and whether these medicines are still working well against infections. Our aim is to come up with a national plan that will help hospitals diagnose and treat lung infections in the same way, making sure that babies get the right care while reducing the need for antibiotics.