Long-term outcome in survivors of neonatal tetanus following specialist intensive care in Vietnam

Neonatal tetanus continues to occur in many resource-limited settings but there are few data regarding long-term neurological outcome from the disease, especially in settings with critical care facilities. We assessed long-term outcome following neonatal tetanus in infants treated in a pediatric intensive care unit in southern Vietnam. Neurological and neurodevelopmental testing was performed in 17 survivors of neonatal tetanus and 18 control children from the same communities using tools previously validated in Vietnamese children. The median age of children assessed was 36 months. Eight neonatal tetanus survivors and 9 community control cases aged