Intestinal necrosis in newborns: Signs and further info
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease that affects premature infants, particularly those with low birth weight or those weighing under 1,500 grams. This condition, which occurs when bacteria invade the walls of the intestines, causing infection and inflammation, can lead to several long-term complications.
The most common long-term complication of NEC is intestinal stricture, a narrowing of the intestine that occurs in about 10 to 36% of cases. This condition can result in malabsorption and growth issues. Another significant long-term complication is short bowel syndrome, which may occur due to extensive bowel resection as a result of NEC. This can lead to malabsorption and growth problems as well.
Surviving infants are also at risk for growth retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders. The systemic impact of NEC and its treatment can have lasting effects on an infant's overall development.
These complications arise because NEC can cause inflammation, tissue necrosis, and sometimes require surgery that impacts the infant's gastrointestinal tract and overall development. Monitoring and multidisciplinary care are essential for addressing these outcomes in premature infants who survive NEC.
Symptoms of NEC include feeding intolerance, lethargy, temperature instability, and bloating. As the condition progresses, symptoms can also include respiratory failure, circulatory collapse, decreased peripheral perfusion, unresponsiveness, cyanosis, and an inability to maintain a typical temperature.
The treatment of NEC depends on the severity of the condition and may involve stopping feeding, fluid resuscitation, providing total parenteral nutrition, and surgery. An essential test to diagnose NEC is a series of abdominal X-rays.
It's important to note that the outlook for NEC depends on the severity of the condition in the child receiving treatment. Mortality rates range from 5% for infants with mild NEC to 100% for infants with advanced NEC who often experience intestinal perforation.
Research in 2022 suggested that breastfeeding and feeding with probiotics were protective factors for NEC in low birth weight infants. On the other hand, factors that put infants at risk of NEC include premature birth, low birth weight, high osmotic strength formula feeding, and possible associations with diazoxide exposure for persistent hypoglycemia.
Certain factors, such as drugs, hypertonic formula, contrast material, acid-suppressing drugs, may cause dysbiosis and should be avoided. Ideally, at-risk infants should be fed breastmilk, but preterm formula is an appropriate substitute. Doctors may give pregnant people at risk of preterm birth corticosteroids to prevent NEC.
Despite the challenges, the survival rate for NEC is around 44%. With proper care and monitoring, many infants can overcome this condition and lead healthy lives. However, it's crucial to be aware of the long-term complications and take steps to mitigate them.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) can lead to long-term complications such as intestinal stricture and short bowel syndrome, resulting in malabsorption and growth issues.
Monitoring and multidisciplinary care are essential for addressing these outcomes in premature infants who survive NEC.
Intestinal stricture occurs in about 10 to 36% of NEC cases and can cause growth issues.
Short bowel syndrome may occur due to extensive bowel resection as a result of NEC, leading to further malabsorption and growth problems.
Surviving infants are also at risk for growth retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders due to the systemic impact of NEC and its treatment.
The treatment of NEC includes stopping feeding, fluid resuscitation, providing total parenteral nutrition, and surgery.
Breastfeeding and feeding with probiotics were found to be protective factors for NEC in low birth weight infants in a 2022 study.
Premature birth, low birth weight, high osmotic strength formula feeding, and possible associations with diazoxide exposure for persistent hypoglycemia put infants at risk of NEC.
Certain factors like drugs, hypertonic formula, contrast material, and acid-suppressing drugs may cause dysbiosis and should be avoided.
Ideally, at-risk infants should be fed breastmilk, but preterm formula is an appropriate substitute.
Doctors may give pregnant people at risk of preterm birth corticosteroids to prevent NEC.
Symptoms of NEC include feeding intolerance, lethargy, temperature instability, bloating, respiratory failure, circulatory collapse, decreased peripheral perfusion, unresponsiveness, cyanosis, and an inability to maintain a typical temperature.
An essential test to diagnose NEC is a series of abdominal X-rays.
The outlook for NEC depends on the severity of the condition in the child receiving treatment.
Mortality rates range from 5% for infants with mild NEC to 100% for infants with advanced NEC who often experience intestinal perforation.
The survival rate for NEC is around 44%. However, it's crucial to be aware of the long-term complications and take steps to mitigate them.
This condition can lead to chronic diseases, mental and physical health issues, and other colitis later in life. It may affect various aspects of health-and-wellness, such as digestive, eye, hearing, skin, cancer, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular health, neurological disorders, skin-conditions, sexual-health, men's-health, womens-health, fitness-and-exercise, and nutritional needs. It can also impact weight-management, aging, and workplace-wellness. Furthermore, it may require therapies-and-treatments, and medical-conditions management, including medicare and cbd usage. Additionally, it may influence parenting skills and parenthood decisions. Even after recovery, ongoing care and attention are necessary for managing the long-term impact of NEC on a patient's overall health and well-being.
