Necrotizing Enterocolitis News and Research

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Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening condition that manifests as inflammation of the intestines. This devastating disease affects mostly premature babies, who account for up to 8 out of every 10 cases. In NEC, bacteria invade the intestinal wall. The resulting local infection and inflammation lead to the destruction of the intestinal lining, even through its entire thickness.

Exploring the role of CPB2 gene in C. perfringens infections

C. perfringens is a widespread bacterium found in the intestines of animals and humans, known for causing severe enteric diseases.

14 Oct 2024

$1.9 million grant aims to improve infant safety against necrotizing enterocolitis

A University of Arizona College of Nursing-led research team will use a $1.9 million Department of Health and Human Services grant to lead a nationwide effort to keep babies safe from the deadly threat of necrotizing enterocolitis, known as NEC.

10 Oct 2024

Direct breastfeeding boosts microbial transfer to very-low-birth-weight infant guts

Researchers found that 30-40% of the very-low-birth-weight infant's gut microbiota came from the mother’s milk, and direct breastfeeding enhances microbial transmission despite antibiotic exposure.

18 Sep 2024

Should extremely preterm infants be given probiotics?

Researchers found that probiotics similarly impact the gut microbiome in extremely preterm infants as in very preterm infants, suggesting potential benefits for NEC prevention, but further research is needed.

26 Aug 2024

Increased skin-to-skin time linked to better neurodevelopment

Skin-to-skin cuddling with a parent has lasting cognitive benefits for premature babies, according to a new Stanford Medicine study. Preemies who received more skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, while hospitalized as newborns were less likely to be developmentally delayed at 1 year of age, the study found.

8 Aug 2024

Probiotic LGG reduces necrotizing enterocolitis risk in preterm infants

The strain-specific effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in preterm infants through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs.

31 Jul 2024

Human milk banks improve infant health but can't fully replace mother's milk

Scientists investigate human milk banks and their impact on infant health, highlighting differences between donated and maternal milk in gut microbiota and development.

25 Jun 2024

Investigational protein replacement protects neonatal mice from deadly intestinal disease

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues found that an investigational protein replacement – recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 and its binding protein-3 (rhIGF-1/BP3) – protected neonatal mice from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly intestinal disease that often strikes extremely premature infants.

28 Feb 2024

Human vs. cow's milk fortifier in preterm infants: No significant outcome difference, study finds

Study compares the effects of feeding extremely preterm infants with human milk fortified with either human milk-based fortifier (HMBF) or cow's milk-based fortifier (BMBF), finding no significant difference in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, or death.

3 Jan 2024

Over 1,100 experts boycott medical journal for publishing unethical animal experiments

More than 1,100 experts have joined the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in boycotting the medical journal Nutrients until it stops publishing egregious animal experiments that could have been ethically conducted in humans.

21 Nov 2023

$3.9 million grant supports research on feeding intolerance in preterm infants

For infants, especially those born prematurely, nutrient absorption and proper development go hand in hand.

7 Nov 2023

Biofilm probiotic effective in preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in piglet model

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a debilitating and deadly condition that affects infants who were born preterm.

24 Oct 2023

Promising potential of probiotics and their byproducts for targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria

The use of probiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

27 Sep 2023

Broad-spectrum antibiotics linked to higher sepsis risk in neonates

A preprint presents evidence for the hypothesis that neonatal sepsis is linked to prenatal antibiotics.

7 Sep 2023

Breastfeeding linked to reduced post-perinatal infant mortality

Among nearly 10 million US infants born between 2016 and 2018, breastfed babies were 33% less likely to die during the post-perinatal period (day 7−364) than infants who were not breastfed, reports a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier.

24 Jul 2023

Breast milk antibodies vary widely among mothers

Breast milk from each individual contains a unique assemblage of antibodies that are surprisingly stable throughout lactation and across pregnancies, according to a new Journal of Experimental Medicine study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

18 Jul 2023

Study examines the relationship between exclusive human milk consumption and gut microbiota in preterm infants

Researchers examine the impact of an exclusive human milk diet on the infant gut microbiome.

6 Mar 2023

Study: Black infants disproportionately die from necrotizing enterocolitis compared to White babies

A study published in JAMA Network Open has found that in the US between 1999 and 2020, Black infants disproportionately died from necrotizing enterocolitis compared to White infants, despite overall improvements in the rates of death from the disease.

3 Mar 2023

The role of omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy

Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids ingested through the diet are metabolized into bioactive compounds that influence inflammation. In a recent the journal Biomedicines study, scientists reviewed the existing literature and summarized their findings related to the role of omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy.

15 Jan 2023

LSU Health New Orleans to receive patent for a noninvasive test to diagnose fatal condition in preemies

US Patent 11,493,515 will be issued to LSU Health New Orleans on November 8, 2022, for a noninvasive test that more accurately diagnoses a potentially fatal condition in premature infants.

7 Nov 2022