Infections with multiply antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality amongst hospitalized neonates worldwide. In Southeast Asia, where antibiotic-resistance is a major problem, Gram-negative bacteria account for the majority of such infections. The most common pathogens are Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. The great majority of infections with these pathogens represent asymptomatic carriage, though in the absence of routine screening for asymptomatic carriage reliable estimates of the prevalence, rates of transmission between patients, and rates of importation from the community are lacking. Moreover, current understanding of the degree and manner in which different antibiotics act to select for such resistant organisms is rudimentary.