The Prevention of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

A disease similar, if not identical, to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was first described in the last century in a 2 day-old infant who died of inflammation and perforation of the ileum.1 The incidence of NEC, a disease linked to prematurity, has increased recently due to innovative treatments of premature infants, particularly surfactant replacement. It has been estimated that premature infants suffering from this disease may have a mortality rate as high as 50%. Minimal basic information is known concerning the mechanism(s) involved in the development of NEC. Numerous hypotheses have been invoked as causative or modifying factors of this disease. These include hypothermia, hypoxia, infectious agents, ischemia, various feeding regimes,2 oxygen free radical generation, etc..