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Intestinal Development and Permeability: Role in Nutrition of Preterm Infants

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Nutrition in Infancy

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Preterm birth necessitates that fetal organ development occur in the extra-uterine environment. This circumstance poses significant risk for gastrointestinal (GI) system development as this system doubles in length from 25 to 40 weeks’ gestation. The most severe consequence of preterm intestinal development is necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)—an inflammatory cascade that leads to ischemia/necrosis of the intestines. This disease is found in 7–10 % of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and is associated with 33 % mortality and 33 % long-term GI and/or neurodevelopmental morbidity. The two protective factors consistently identified to decrease risk for NEC are prolonged gestation and human milk feeds. Investigation into the mechanism of NEC has dominated the study of preterm infant intestinal development. Within this context, intestinal maturation and specifically intestinal permeability have been studied for 20 years.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology, MUSC Children’s Hospital, 165 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC, 29403, USA

    Sarah N. Taylor M.D.

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Julie Ross & Carol L. Wagner

Authors
  1. Sarah N. Taylor M.D.
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  2. Julie Ross
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  3. Carol L. Wagner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah N. Taylor M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona Health Science Center, Mel and Enid Zuckerman, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin, Tucson, 85724-5155, Arizona, USA

    Ronald Ross Watson

  2. Centre for Gastroenterology, and Nutrition, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

    George Grimble

  3. Dept. Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College, Stamford St. 150, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  4. Division of Health Promotion Sciences, Mel and Enid Zuckerman, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, Tucson, 85724, Arizona, USA

    Sherma Zibadi

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Taylor, S.N., Ross, J., Wagner, C.L. (2013). Intestinal Development and Permeability: Role in Nutrition of Preterm Infants. In: Watson, R., Grimble, G., Preedy, V., Zibadi, S. (eds) Nutrition in Infancy. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-224-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-224-7_9

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