Neonatal meningococcal meningitis: report of two cases.

Two neonates with meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia are reported. The two, aged 28 and 16 days, respectively, presented similar symptoms of fever, poor appetite and poor activity. Both blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures of each patient grew Neisseria meningitidis. The isolated bacteria were sensitive to penicillin, and both patients recovered completely after penicillin treatment for 22 and 15 days, respectively. In the antibiotic era, only 22 cases of neonatal meningococcal meningitis have been reported in the English literature. Among these reports, at least 7 patients survived without sequelae; 6 of those were treated with different combinations of antibiotics, including penicillin, for variable durations of 7-14 days. Therefore, effective antibiotic therapy for 14 days should be adequate in the treatment of uncomplicated neonatal meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia.