Early onset of sepsis, a life threatening condition, was common in the country with nearly two-thirds of such cases occurring within 72 hours of birth of a child, according to a study.
The government also admitted that antimicrobial resistance among hospital-acquired infections in India was a growing problem and that it was due to poor infection control among other causes.
"As per Delhi Neonatal Infection Study (DeNIS) 2016, early onset sepsis was common with nearly two-thirds of cases occuring within 72 hours of birth.
"According to the study, the fatality rate for all sepsis cases was 26 per cent," Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection injures its own tissues and organs.
He said, "(Antimicrobial) resistance among hospital acquired infections in Indian hospitals is a growing problem and is due to combination of poor infection control and high, uncontrolled rates of use of antimicrobial," he said.
The World Health Organization's worldwide country situation analysis report, 'Response to antimicrobial resistance 2015', shows that in the South East Asian Region, antimicrobial resistance is a major problem and the nosocomial infections are a particular concern.
"The main cause of resistance appears to be inappropriate use of antimicrobial medicines, due to both their over the counter availability and poor compliance with standard treatment guidelines," he said.
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