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Necrotizing enterocolitis in term infants

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Abstract

Nine term infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) at a mean age of \(3{\raise0.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 3$}\kern-0.1em/\kern-0.15em\lower0.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 4$}}\) months. In six, NEC developed following severe diarrhea. One infant had major congenital heart disease. Two were in apparently good health before developing rapidly progressing NEC. Two infants died before operation was feasible, one survived without an operation, and only 1 of 6 infants survived following surgical treatment. Awareness that NEC can occur in term infants may enable early diagnosis and treatment and may reduce the high mortality associated with this uncommon disease.

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Silberman, S., Udassin, R., Zamir, O. et al. Necrotizing enterocolitis in term infants. Pediatr Surg Int 4, 35–38 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00173081

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