Necrotizing Enterocolitis News and Research

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Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening condition that manifests as inflammation of the intestines. This devastating disease affects mostly premature babies, who account for up to 8 out of every 10 cases. In NEC, bacteria invade the intestinal wall. The resulting local infection and inflammation lead to the destruction of the intestinal lining, even through its entire thickness.

Concentrated high-protein liquid fortifier boosts ICU babies’ growth

Breast milk fortified with an ultraconcentrated high-protein liquid increases growth and is well-tolerated by preterm babies in comparison with a lower-protein enriched powder alternative, research shows.

24 Sep 2012

Medela, King West Pictures and NWMMB partner to increase awareness of human milk banks

Medela, Inc., today announced a partnership with King West Pictures and the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank (NWMMB) to increase awareness of human milk banks and the value of breastmilk feeding, especially for preterm babies. The collaborators will launch the film screening series this summer to showcase families helping to provide the life-saving benefits of breastmilk including to preterm babies in neonatal intensive care units.

27 Jun 2012

Disruptions in immune system regulation may play a role in NEC

Despite advances in neonatal care, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) - the most common gastrointestinal emergency in premature infants - continues to be a deadly disease. "We haven't made a lot of progress in identifying babies early who may be at risk for NEC, preventing it or treating it," said J-rn-Hendrik Weitkamp, M.D., a neonatologist and assistant professor of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

20 Mar 2012

News briefs from featured presentations at Cardiology 2012

Pediatric cardiology researchers and clinicians from almost 50 centers from across the U.S. and around the world are gathering at the Cardiology 2012 Conference sponsored by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on Feb. 22-26 in Orlando, Fla.

27 Feb 2012

Vaginal progesterone safe and effective in preventing preterm birth

Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns.

15 Dec 2011

Study identifies major risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis

Many premature infants suffer a life-threatening destruction of intestinal tissue called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Now a Loyola University Medical Center study has identified a major risk factor for NEC: Preemies with the AB blood type who develop NEC are nearly three times as likely to die from it as preemies with other blood types.

22 Nov 2011

Surgeons freeze organoid units and regenerate TESI for short bowel syndrome

Surgeons at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have conducted a study that could put regenerative tissue treatment for short bowel syndrome one step closer to the bedside. The researchers were able to successfully isolate and store organoid units and later generate tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) in a mouse model. The groundbreaking results were presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

27 Oct 2011

Breast milk component induces expression of P-glycoprotein

Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have found that a component of breast milk induces expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a protein that is protective against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)--a complex, lethal disease that affects up to 7 percent of babies admitted to the NICU.

27 Oct 2011

Nationwide Children's Hospital investigator to continue research on heparin-binding EGF

Gail Besner, MD, principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has been awarded a 4-year RO1 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue her work on heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

24 Oct 2011

Researchers create tissue-engineered small intestine in mice

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have successfully created a tissue-engineered small intestine in mice that replicates the intestinal structures of natural intestine-a necessary first step toward someday applying this regenerative medicine technique to humans.

6 Jul 2011

Feeding SimplyThick to premature infants may cause NEC, warns FDA

FDA is warning parents, caregivers and health care providers not to feed SimplyThick, a thickening agent for management of swallowing disorders, to infants born before 37 weeks.

21 May 2011

Insight into probiotic bacteria can help improve intestinal disease treatments

The gut may need bacteria to provide a little bit of oxidative stress to stay healthy, new research suggests. Probiotic bacteria promote healing of the intestinal lining in mice by inducing the production of reactive oxygen species, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have shown.

11 May 2011

Formula-fed premature babies more likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis

Extremely premature babies fed human donor milk are less likely to develop the dangerous intestinal condition necrotizing enterocolitis than babies fed a standard premature infant formula derived from cow's milk, according to research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and elsewhere.

2 May 2011

SPIN program to help mothers produce sufficient breast milk for their premature infants

Approximately 50,000 premature babies weighing less than three pounds are born in the United States each year. These fragile newborns need the highest quality nutrition, which is why UC San Diego Health System developed the Supporting Premature Infant Nutrition program to help mothers produce sufficient breast milk for their premature infants.

24 Feb 2011

Scientist identifies polymorphism that raises risk of poor outcomes in preterm infants

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified biomarkers of poor outcomes in preterm infants that may help identify new approaches to prevention.

28 Jan 2011

Cataloguing microbes in gut could lead to cause of necrotizing enterocolitis

Scientists have for the first time sequenced and reconstructed the genomes of most of the microbes in the gut of a premature newborn and documented how the microbe populations changed over time.

14 Jan 2011

Scientists create functioning human intestinal tissue from pluripotent stem cells

For the first time, scientists have created functioning human intestinal tissue in the laboratory from pluripotent stem cells.

13 Dec 2010

Even most vulnerable infants can transition to breast-feeding: Study

Pediatric researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia describe a successful program in which nurses helped mothers attain high rates of breast-feeding in very sick babies--newborns with complex birth defects requiring surgery and intensive care.

28 Oct 2010

Protein IL-37 could help treat inflammatory diseases in adults and children

A husband and wife research team from Melbourne, Australia, have identified a protein that may be a key therapy for many inflammatory diseases, including those affecting premature babies.

21 Oct 2010

NIH announces award to improve human microbiome research

The National Institutes of Health today announced it has awarded approximately $42 million to expand the scope of eight demonstration projects designed to link changes in the human microbiome to health and disease.

8 Sep 2010