Research investigates how to treat severe infections in newborn babies
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18 June 2025 — completing April 2026
Research investigates how to treat severe infections in newborn babies
Newborn babies are vulnerable to infections and often require antibiotic treatment as a result. Babies staying on neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), especially for long periods, are particularly vulnerable to infections.
Many different antibiotics are used to treat infections in babies, although it is often unclear which to prescribe, as well as which dose and duration of treatment is most effective in this vulnerable patient group. It can be particularly difficult to choose antibiotics for neonatal sepsis, due to the urgency of the treatment and challenges with diagnosis.
Additionally, a certain antibiotic, dose, or length of treatment could be problematic because the protective bacteria living in the baby’s gut may be altered or become resistant to antibiotics. There may also be long-term effects associated with antibiotic use in newborn babies, such as neurodevelopmental issues.
Why research in this area is challenging
Research in this area is essential but difficult. The best way to study treatments is in a clinical trial, which is often challenging to carry out with newborn babies. Parents and healthcare staff find severe infections worrying and struggle to consider whether it is right for their baby to take part in research.
Babies on NICU may have additional problems linked to prematurity or surgical conditions, so it is difficult to identify whether negative effects occur because of a treatment or the baby’s pre-existing condition.
Project aims
The NeoSep-ADAPT project aims to investigate the challenges associated with conducting research on severe neonatal infections, and co-design useful resources to address these clinical barriers in future trials on NICUs.
How the research will be carried out
The project has two phases:
Understanding barriers and facilitators
Parents and healthcare professionals with experience of NICUs in the UK will be included in interview and focus group studies to understand what barriers and facilitators exist when implementing research, particularly in the context of neonatal infections. The research team will also conduct observations at UK-based NICUs to assess how research intersects with clinical duties and any issues that arise in the delivery of clinical trials on the unit.
Co-designing resources
In the latter stages, a co-design approach will be taken to design resources which provide appropriate information about the trial and severe infections to parents and staff, as well as other tools identified as necessary. Appropriate theories and frameworks from implementation and behavioural sciences will be employed from the start to inform topic guides, qualitative framework analysis, and co-design of resources.
The study team will work with charities, NHS partners and the Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks.
How patients and the public are involved
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) will play a key role in the project, providing insight into public and staff perspectives which will allow the team to develop a protocol for an adaptive platform trial.
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Regular engagement with parent support groups, charities and partner neonatal units
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Parent and staff representatives will review and streamline the protocol and corresponding interventions to ensure outputs emulate a patient- and family-centred model for neonatal infection trials
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Through scientific findings and PPI contributions, the project will build a guide for increasing family and staff engagement with complex neonatal infection trials
Potential benefits of the study
This project will help parents, babies, and healthcare professionals dealing with severe infections:
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Research is taking place at St George’s Hospital in South London, so project outputs will be available to healthcare staff and parents based on the unit in future
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Results will contribute to future trial design by illustrating the perspectives and needs of stakeholders who deliver or participate in neonatal research
Meet the project team
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Professor Julia Bielicki Professor of paediatric infectious diseases, City St George’s, University of London |
Lauren Wallis Social scientist, City St George’s, University of London |
Related content
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Maternity and perinatal mental health research at ARC South London - →
Improving health outcomes for women and babies at higher risk of complications - →
Professor Julia Bielicki’s inaugural lecture, City St George’s, University of London
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.