The objective of this study was to determine if there are any common “risk factors” that could assist clinicians in identifying premature infants who are at greater risk for developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This was a retrospective study of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Peoria. In total, 384 charts were reviewed. Seventy-eight infants diagnosed with NEC were compared to 246 infants who did not have NEC. Maternal risk factors, infant demo-graphics, incidence of sepsis, H2 blockers prescribed, temperature, anemia, and day-of-life gut priming and enteral feedings were compared between the two groups for significant differences. Univariate tests and logistic regression demonstrated that mothers of infants who developed NEC had a higher incidence of premature rupture of membranes. Significantly more males developed NEC than females. African American infants had a higher incidence of developing NEC than white infants. Infants who developed NEC often had a prior diagnosis of sepsis and were prescribed H2 blockers more frequently. Infants who had early initiation of gut priming and earlier initiation of enteral feedings had significantly less incidence of NEC than infants whose gut priming and enteral feedings were delayed. This study supports that risk factors for NEC are multifactorial and could assist clinicians in identifying subgroups, within the neonatal population, that are at greater risk for this disease, leading to the implementation of strategies to reduce the onset of NEC. Unfortunately, the true etiology of NEC remains unclear.
The expected benefits of reinfusing succus entericus are to prevent atrophy of the distal gastrointestinal tract and to allow normal digestion and absorption of nutrients, electrolytes, minerals, and fluid."
Background. Traditionally, dietary fiber has been empirically added to infant formulas to improve feeding intolerance for those infants diagnosed with intestinal failure (IF) or short-bowel syndrome (SBS). Clinicians have added a variety of products such as pectin, Benefiber, infant cereals, or baby foods as the dietary fiber source, without documented evidence of their efficacy. Materials and Methods. This was a retrospective cohort review of infants admitted between August 2003 and June 2011 to the Children’s Hospital of Illinois who had dietary green beans added to their formula because of feeding intolerance. Our primary hypothesis was that adding dietary fiber as green beans to an infant’s formula would correct diarrhea resulting from a bowel resection and reduce their dependence on parenteral nutrition (PN). Results. In all, 18 infants were prescribed dietary green beans added to their formula during this study period; 7 of them were diagnosed with SBS. After the addition of the dietary green beans to their formula, all infants had improvements in stool consistency: 56% of the infants had mushy/soft stools, and 44% of the infants had formed stools. Also, 61% of infants had PN discontinued because 100% of their nutritional needs were met by enteral feedings. Conclusion. Infants with IF or SBS stool patterns improved after dietary green beans were added to the formula. The addition of this type of dietary fiber may allow the clinician to advance enteral feeding volumes and decrease the infant’s dependence on PN and avoid associated PN-related morbidities.
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