Interleukins are endogenous chemical mediators which play an important role in orchestrating the inflammatory cascade of human body. Proinflammatory cytokines are primarily responsible for initiating an effective host defense, conversely, anti-inflammatory cytokines are crucial for down-regulating the exacerbated inflammatory process. The inflammatory response plays a major role in the induction of several neonatal diseases. It has been hypothesized that an imbalance between pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines in favor of the proinflammatory cascade plays a major role in the pathophysiology of several neonatal diseases. Recent advances in flow cytometric technology allow quantitative measurement of a large panel of inflammatory mediators for assessment of their role in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prediction of outcome in several neonatal diseases mainly neonatal sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia