Within the first 24 h of life 15 of the patients showed laboratory signs of infection (leukopenia < 5/nL in n = 4, CrP > 5 mg/L in n = 5, IL-6 > 100 pg/mL in n = 12, I/T ratio > 0.2 in n = 1). Here, IL6 is linked to Decreased total leukocyte count.