The impermeant nature of the intestinal barrier is maintained by tight junctions (TJs) formed between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells. Disruption of TJs and loss of barrier function are associated with a number of gastrointestinal diseases, including neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the leading cause of death from gastrointestinal diseases in preterm infants. Human milk is protect...

Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in neonates. The etiology is considered multifactorial. Risk factors include prematurity, enteral feeding, hypoxia, and bacterial colonization. The etiologic role of viruses is unclear. We present a case of necrotizing enterocolitis associated with cytomegalovirus and Proteobacteria in a 48-day-old, ex-premature infant and ...

matory response of the immature intestinal immune system, resulting in rapidly evolving intestinal gangrene, perforation, sepsis, shock and death [1, 2, 4] . Probiotics have been shown to be able to modify both the intestinal microbiota as well as the intestinal immune response. On this background, several clinical trials have been carried out in order to investigate the potential role of probi...

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency and remains a major cause of mortality for very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI) requiring surgery. To date, there have been no large-scale studies evaluating the incidence, associated clinical factors and outcomes of NEC for VLBWI in Korea. The 2,326 VLBWI of a total 2,386 Korean Neonatal Network (KNN) cohort born wi...

We aim to determine risk factors and clinical outcomes for bowel perforation in premature infants with NEC. We analyzed clinical data of 57 cases of premature infants with NEC at our NICU between January 2010 and December 2012. Based on the presence of bowel perforation, we divided these infants into two groups: perforated NEC group (n = 10) and nonperforated NEC group (n = 47). We compared gen...

It is estimated that nearly 12% of infants born weighing less than 1500 g will develop NEC and about 30% of these infants will not survive. [4] More than 85% of all NEC cases occur in infants of very low birth weight or in very premature infants. [5]Full-term and near-term infants also develop the disease. Patent ductus arteriosus is a risk factor in premature babies, especially if conservative...

It is estimated that nearly 12% of infants born weighing less than 1500 g will develop NEC and about 30% of these infants will not survive. [4] More than 85% of all NEC cases occur in infants of very low birth weight or in very premature infants. [5]Full-term and near-term infants also develop the disease. Patent ductus arteriosus is a risk factor in premature babies, especially if conservative...

EDITORIAL SYNOPSIS Ischaemic enterocolitis is often incorrectly called fulminant ulcerative colitis at necropsy and this paper sets out the evidence on which a correct diagnosis may be made. The condition may be precipitated by an episode of hypotension in a patient with some degree of bowel ischaemia, producing sudden hypoxia. Such hypotension imitating the disease reaction may be due to a var...