The primary objective will be to study the pharmacokinetics (plasma and cerebrospinal fluid) of meropenem in infants ≤ 90 days of postnatal age with probable or confirmed bacterial meningitis and to characterize the safety profile of meropenem in the treatment of infants ≤ 90 days of postnatal age with probable or confirmed bacterial meningitis.~The secondary objectives are :~To describe the efficacy of meropenem on day 3, at end of allocated treatment (EOAT), at test of cure (TOC) and at follow up (FU).~To evaluate survival at FU~To evaluate further episodes of meningitis (relapse or new infection) occurring between TOC and FU visits~To define the organisms causing neonatal meningitis~To describe the antibacterial susceptibility of meningitis-causing organisms and to describe the clinical and microbiological response according to this~To evaluate mucosal colonization by resistant organisms before and after treatment with meropenem~To evaluate bacterial eradication~To evaluate functional genetic parameters that may affect response to therapy
This phase I-II multicenter international trial is designed to study the pharmacokinetics of meropenem and to characterize the safety profile of meropenem in the treatment of infants ≤ 90 days of postnatal age with probable or confirmed bacterial meningitis.