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.

Gut bacteria and pregnancy

Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have found that with pregnancy there is a change in the composition of gut bacteria in women. This could be associated with the changing hormonal status they speculate. The results of their study titled, “Progesterone Increases Bifidobacterium Relative Abundance during Late Pregnancy,” were published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports.

17 Apr 2019

CHOP researchers use machine-learning models for early detection of sepsis in NICU infants

Automated programs can identify which sick infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have sepsis hours before clinicians recognize the life-threatening condition.

1 Mar 2019

Mother’s milk important to protect infants with congenital heart disease from infection

With a lower risk of serious complications and improved feeding and growth outcomes, human milk is strongly preferred as the best diet for infants with congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a research review in Advances in Neonatal Care, official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

31 Jan 2019

Researchers gain new insights into development of necrotizing enterocolitis in preemies

Researchers at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues, discovered a promising direction toward understanding the development of necrotizing enterocolitis, a devastating intestinal disease commonly affecting premature infants, in order to treat it.

23 Jan 2019

New study finds change in complex sugars found in breastmilk of women taking probiotic

The complex sugars found in human breastmilk, long believed to be fixed in their composition, may change in women who are taking probiotics, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

23 Jan 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers identify molecular causes of necrotizing enterocolitis in preemies

Using a mouse model of necrotizing enterocolitis -- a potentially fatal condition that causes a premature infant's gut to suddenly die -- researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have uncovered the molecular causes of the condition and its associated brain injury.

14 Dec 2018

Standardizing feeding practices improves growth trends for micro-preemies

Standardizing feeding practices, including the timing for fortifying breast milk and formula with essential elements like zinc and protein, improves growth trends for the tiniest preterm infants, according to Children's research presented during the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 2018 Scientific Symposium.

11 Dec 2018

Transplantation of feces may protect preterm children from deadly bowel disease

Each year 5-10 per cent of all the children born in the world are born prematurely. At this stage, their organs and immune system are not mature, and the children are therefore highly susceptible to serious infections.

15 Nov 2018

Prenatal inflammation may explain why some infants are more prone to neonatal sepsis

Each year 15 million infants are born preterm and face high risks of short- and long-term complications, including sepsis, severe inflammation of the gut, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

9 Oct 2018

Researchers find human milk oligosaccharides in amniotic fluid

Human milk oligosaccharides are complex carbohydrates that are highly abundant and unique to human milk.

3 Oct 2018

Researchers develop biofilm formulations that protect from necrotizing enterocolitis

Most of the time, we think biofilms are bad news. And when pathogenic microbes form biofilms, they are.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers find link between metabolite profile, sugar in the diet and risk of NEC

The risk of preterm infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is higher when they are fed formula than when they feed on breast milk. Of the many reasons why breast milk protects preterm infants from this serious condition better than formula, not all of them are well understood.

27 Jun 2018

UA researchers aim to predict and prevent fatal disease in premature babies

A new $1.9 million grant at the University of Arizona Steele Children's Research Center will help researchers discover ways to prevent a deadly disease that affects thousands of premature infants annually.

25 Apr 2018

Implanted robotic system stimulates tissue growth in stunted organs

An implanted, programmable medical robot can gradually lengthen tubular organs by applying traction forces -- stimulating tissue growth in stunted organs without interfering with organ function or causing apparent discomfort, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

11 Jan 2018

Precision editing of gut bacteria reduces inflammation in mouse model of colitis

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have used precision editing of the bacterial populations in the gut to prevent or reduce the severity of inflammation in a mouse model of colitis.

5 Jan 2018

Research reveals impact of helpful strain of bacteria on infants’ digestive tract

Some of the first living things to greet a newborn baby do a lot more than coo or cuddle. In fact, they may actually help the little one's digestive system prepare for a lifetime of fighting off dangerous germs.

7 Nov 2017

Researchers map genetic changes resulting from short bowel syndrome

Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, led by Tracy C. Grikscheit, MD, have mapped the genetic changes resulting from short bowel syndrome using a novel zebrafish model and by performing intensive gene sequencing.

25 Jan 2017

NSF awards grant to advance new diagnostic test for fatal gastrointestinal disease in pre-term infants

The National Science Foundation has chosen an LSU Health New Orleans team that developed a test for the early detection of a potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal disease affecting pre-term, low birthweight babies to receive expert guidance to move the technology forward.

1 Dec 2016

Using urine samples to diagnose disease in preterm newborns

The majority of patients in neonatal intensive care units are premature babies, who often have infectious (congenital pneumonia) or noninfectious (tachypnea, infant respiratory distress syndrome) respiratory pathologies.

9 Nov 2016

Nutrient-fortified donor milk does not improve neurodevelopment in VLBW babies, study finds

Among very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, the use of supplemental donor milk compared with formula did not improve neurodevelopment at 18 months, according to a study appearing in the November 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Nov 2016