Fungal pathogens can cause serious disease in newborn babies, and Candida species are the most common cause of fungal infections in this age group, according to a disease management review published in Drugs & Therapy Perspectives.
The review states that, as with adults, the choice of antifungal agent used to treat neonatal infections should depend on the susceptibility of the pathogen. Matching the drug to the organism’s susceptibility profile is presented as the guiding principle for selecting therapy in infected infants.
For babies considered to be at high risk of invasive fungal infections, the guidance recommends that empiric antifungal treatment should be considered at the initial signs of infection, rather than waiting for confirmed disease. Antifungal prophylaxis is also recommended for neonates in this high-risk group, reflecting the seriousness that invasive fungal disease can carry in this vulnerable population.
A key theme of the review is dosing. Because neonates differ from adults in drug clearance and distribution, careful dose adjustments may be required to achieve drug concentrations that are both effective and safe. The review notes that these developmental differences in how antifungal agents are handled by the body make individualised dosing an important consideration when treating newborns.
The article, published on 28 August 2026 and authored by Simon Fung, is an open access piece in the journal’s Disease Management area. Its abstract frames the management of neonatal fungal infections around three practical points: identifying Candida as the leading fungal pathogen, selecting agents according to pathogen susceptibility, and adjusting doses for neonatal physiology.
Overall, the review’s message for clinicians managing suspected or confirmed fungal infections in neonates is that antifungal therapy should be guided by susceptibility testing, that high-risk infants may warrant both empiric treatment at early signs of infection and prophylaxis, and that dosing must account for the distinctive pharmacokinetics of newborns to reach effective and safe drug concentrations.
Subject of Research: Management of fungal infections in neonates with antifungal agents
Article Title: Manage fungal infections in neonates with antifungal agents, with prophylactic treatment recommended for those at high risk
Article References: Fung, S. (2026). Manage fungal infections in neonates with antifungal agents, with prophylactic treatment recommended for those at high risk. Drugs & Therapy Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-026-01273-6
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1007/s40267-026-01273-6
Keywords: neonates, fungal infections, Candida, antifungal agents, prophylaxis, empiric treatment, drug dosing, drug clearance, susceptibility, Disease Management, Drugs & Therapy Perspectives, Manage
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (October 28, 2026). Antifungal treatment in neonates: susceptibility-guided therapy and prophylaxis for high-risk infants. Scienmag.
