Eaton, S; Hall, N; (2019) Necrotizing Enterocolitis. In: Kuipers, E and Bruno, M and Chan, F and Dube, C and El-Omar, E and Gerbes, A and Law, S and Sherman, P and Simren, M and Surawicz, C, (eds.) Encyclopedia of gastroenterology. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (In press).

Text NEC-Eaton_Encyc_Gastr_2018_Revised_Jan2019.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff Download (479kB)

Abstract

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of infants and the commonest gastrointestinal emergency in the newborn period. It is a condition characterised by intestinal necrosis affecting the ileum and/or colon, and is especially prevalent in very-low birthweight and extremely low birthweight infants. There is a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. In the least severe cases there may be mild inflammation of the intestinal wall in a baby with mild abdominal distension and minimal systemic upset. The most severely affected cases, however, may show evidence of full thickness intestinal necrosis with perforation, respiratory and cardiovascular collapse, multi-system organ failure and in some cases death. Surgery may be required and survivors may have long-term gastrointestinal or neurological sequelae. Although there is some evidence that probiotics may help prevent the disease, the molecular pathogenesis in not fully understood, and treatment is non-specific and supportive.

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