Table 1 Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the studied groups at the start of the study

Gestational age (weeks)^b

34.85 ± 1.14

34.55 ± 0.95

0.370

Birth weight (grams)^b

1655.5 ± 77.77

1688.5 ± 104.74

0.258

Male (sex)^a

12 (60%)

8 (40%)

0.343

Postnatal age (days)^b

5.30 ± 2.60

5.20 ± 2.51

0.902

Site of infection^a

0.694

 Bacteremia

11

10

 Pneumonia

7

8

 Meningitis

2

1

 Septic arthritis

0

1

 Respiratory distress^a

9 (45%)

7 (35%)

0.748

 Temperature instability^a

8 (40%)

14 (70%)

0.11

 Poor activity^a

14 (70%)

12 (60%)

0.74

 WBCs (10⁹/l)^b

12.13 ± 5.26

10.19 ± 5.13

0.244

 Platelet (10⁹/l)^b

110.75 ± 44.13

112.45 ± 42.24

0.902

 Serum C-reactive protein (mg/L)^c

96 (24–96)

96 (24–96)

0.599

 INR^b

1.14 ± 0.26

1.08 ± 0.14

0.426

 Blood glucose (mg/dL)^b

136.65 ± 44.82

127.15 ± 58.71

0.569

 TNF alpha (pg/dL)^b

153.05 ± 50.47

167.57 ± 41.78

0.328

 Serum Creatinine (mg/dL)^b

0.53 ± 0.36

0.41 ± 0.23

0.233

 AST (IU/L)^b

18.51 ± 7.43

22.34 ± 12.23

0.240

 ALT (IU/L)^b

16.60 ± 7.68

20.18 ± 11.66

0.257

 PELOD score on admission^c

0 (0–10)

0 (0–11)

0.513