ABSTRACT
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is predominantly a disease of the premature neonate. The majority of patients diagnosed with NEC are less than 32 weeks gestation. Early studies by Santulli and colleagues suggested that NEC develops in a susceptible or premature host as a result of various insults to the gastrointestinal tract inflicted by ischemia, enteral feeding, and pathogenic bacteria. Various studies describe some of the mechanisms by which mucosal injury occurs in NEC. NEC can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract but most commonly affects the small intestine. At initial presentation, infants who develop NEC often exhibit nonspecific systemic signs that may prompt a workup for sepsis. Laboratory data, although universally used, have not proven to be specific or reliable indicators for the diagnosis of NEC. Several retrospective studies have reported a high prevalence of NEC in patients who underwent abdominal wall closure for gastroschisis.
