NEONATAL SEPSIS AS AN INDICATOR OF INFECTIOUS BURDEN DURING WARTIME: DATA FROM LVIV REGION (2022–2024)

Martial law in Ukraine has led to substantial modifications in the health care system, with particular impact on perinatal services. Relocation of pregnant women from combat zones to western regions, reduced access to antenatal care, and interruptions in infection control practices have heightened risks for neonates, most notably in preterm and low-birth-weight infants. Bacterial neonatal sepsis, frequently of intrauterine origin, represents a principal marker of this elevated infectious burden. Objective. To analyse temporal trends and statistical relationships in the incidence of bacterial neonatal sepsis in Lviv Region from 2022 to 2024 under conditions of martial law, and to determine potential clinical and epidemiological contributors to the observed increase in infectious burden. Materials and Methods. A retrospective review was conducted of official statistical reports issued by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Form No. 21-a) covering the years 2022–2024. Incidence rates (absolute and relative) of neonatal sepsis (ICD-10 code P36), distribution according to birth weight, early neonatal mortality, frequency of deliveries complicated by massive haemorrhage (≥1000 mL), and caesarean section rates were examined. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and pairwise correlation analysis (Pearson r) was performed. Results were presented graphically. Data management and analysis were carried out using Python 3.10, with pandas employed for data organisation and initial processing, and seaborn and matplotlib used for visualisation. A correlation matrix was generated and displayed as a heatmap. The analytical outcomes were applied to evaluate the hypothesis that wartime conditions have contributed to rising rates of infectious morbidity among newborns in a region subject to increased perinatal load. Results. The incidence of neonatal sepsis increased from 0.8‰ in 2022 to 3.3‰ in 2024. In 2024, 96% of cases were recorded in infants with birth weight <2500 g. Strong positive correlations were found between the number of neonatal sepsis cases and the number of deliveries with blood loss ≥1000 mL (r = 0.96), the number of caesarean sections (r = 0.88), and early neonatal mortality (r = 0.94). These relationships indicate a multifactorial elevation of infectious risk resulting from the interplay of clinical, organisational, and social determinants. Conclusions. The results demonstrate a pronounced escalation of infectious burden among neonates during wartime, with particular prominence among preterm infants. The documented rise in bacterial neonatal sepsis incidence underscores the requirement for updated prevention strategies, strengthened readiness of perinatal facilities in heavily affected regions, and broadened antenatal screening for intrauterine infections. The reported data may serve as supporting evidence for subsequent clinical studies and public health policy development.