Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis an epidemiological study.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was diagnosed in 77 infants among 2200 admissions to the NICU during the period January 1986 to September 1990. The incidence was 0.5% of all live births and 3.5% of NICU admissions. Majority (57.1%) had Stage I of the disease while 23.4% had Stage II and 19.5% had Stage III of the disease. The average birth weight of the babies was 1650±577 g and gestational age 33.3±2.6 weeks. Majority (53.2%) were very low birth weight (VLBW) babies. Incidence was significantly more (5.7% vs 0.25%, p<0.001) in VLBW infants and in preterm infants of gestational age less than 32 weeks (5.2% vs 0.09%, p<0.001)