ABCS Health Sciences (Feb 2022)
Clinical and epidemiological characterization of newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis
Abstract
Introduction: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe inflammatory disorder that can affect the whole gastrointestinal system, particularly the ileum, and is a major cause of morbidity in premature infants. Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of newborns with NEC, seeking to identify the causes, evolution and severity of the disease. Methods: The study selected 94 patients who developed NEC (cases) and 60 patients who did not develop the disease during hospitalization (controls) and presented similar clinical signs of the case group. The variables analyzed divided into maternal and neonatal. The frequency tests were applied using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 and comparative analysis using the GraphPad Prism® 5.0 software. Results: There was a higher number of prenatal consultations in cases with NEC. Newborns with NEC had shorter hospital stay, longer parenteral nutrition and antibiotics use and a predominant use of infant formula. The Bell criteria modified by Walsh and Kleigman was negatively correlated to maternal age and positively correlated to gestational age, birth weight and time of parenteral nutrition. Conclusion: Although being a disease of the newborn, the present study indicated that maternal characteristics may be related to its onset of NEC. Therefore, the greater number of prenatal consultations and neonatal factors such as length of stay, prolonged use of parenteral nutrition and antibiotic therapy, and formula use may influence the development of the disease.
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