A research group led by Kobe University professor Morioka Ichiro (Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics), associate professor Osawa Kayo (Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Biophysics), and clinical technologist Sato Itsuko (Kobe University Hospital, Department of Clinical Laboratory) is proposing a new criterion for diagnosis of bacterial infection in preterm infants. Using this method could lead to early diagnosis and treatment for bacterial infection and improve the prognosis for preterm infants. These findings were published in the online version of the journal Scientific Reports on April 1, 2016.