Infected with ‘superbugs’ in birth facilities within 72 hours of being born, thousands of Indian babies are dying due to an ‘alarming degree’ of drug resistance, a major study has found. 
•    The researchers found that nearly 26 per cent of babies with sepsis died, as multi drug resistance made the ailment untreatable.
•    The lead author of the study, Dr. Vinod Paul, chief of pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said this was a manifestation of drug resistant bacteria in the Indian population.
•    Dr. Paul’s team is working on models to prevent hospital-acquired infections soon after birth, and rapid diagnostics.
•    Out of over 88,000 children, 13,530 were ‘enrolled’ in the study – that is, admitted to the ICU.
•    Multi drug resistance was the highest with Acinetobacter in 181 cases, a staggering 82 per cent. 
•    Resistance to Klebsiella was found in 54 per cent and E. coli in 38 per cent.

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