INTRODUCTION Each year, an estimated four million neonatal deaths occur globally (1). Infections account for 36% of these deaths (1). Serious systemic infections, including sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia, account for 26% of neonatal deaths while neonatal tetanus and diarrhoea account for 7% and 3% respectively (1). Although precise data on the relationship between cord infections and sepsis are lacking, a substantial proportion of neonatal sepsis and meningitis may stem from infections of the umbilical cord (2-5), and cord infections are associated with increased risk for mortality (6). Furthermore, puerperal sepsis causes an estimated 15% of all maternal deaths, or approximately 75,000 deaths per year worldwide, most of which occur in developing countries (7-9).
