Necrotizing enterocolitis

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Digestive system

Infant intestines

Necrotizing enterocolitis is an acquired disease, primarily in premature infants or sick newborns, in which intestinal tissue dies.

NEC

In necrotizing enterocolitis, the lining of the intestinal wall dies and the tissue sloughs off. The cause for this disorder is unknown, but it is thought that a decreased blood flow to the bowel keeps the bowel from producing the normal protective mucus. Bacteria in the intestine may also be a cause.

At risk are small, premature infants, infants who are fed concentrated formulas, infants in a nursery where an outbreak has occurred (suggesting an infectious cause), and infants who have received blood exchange transfusions.

Review Date: 08/02/2005
Reviewed By: Courtney W. Houchen, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.