Reducing perinatal and neonatal mortality and later morbidity is one of the main aims of both obstetricians and neonatologists. In the developed world, public health initiatives such as childhood vaccination have helped to reduce the effect of infectious disease on both fetal and neonatal death and long-term morbidity. However, worldwide infectious disease still takes a major toll on pregnant women, their fetuses and children. Indeed, it has been estimated that 30–40% of neonatal deaths worldwide (totalling …