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Intestinal Development and Permeability: Role in Nutrition of Preterm Infants

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

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.

Keywords

Preterm infants Intestinal permeability Human milk Intestinal maturation Intestinal development 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sarah N. Taylor
    • 1
  • Julie Ross
    • 2
  • Carol L. Wagner
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Pediatrics, NeonatologyMUSC Children’s HospitalCharlestonUSA
  2. 2.Department of PediatricsMedical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUSA

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