Necrotising enterocolitis

A serious bowel illness of newborn babies, most often seen in premature babies. The tissue lining the intestine becomes inflamed, dies and can slough off. The topic page used here describes it as the most common serious gastrointestinal disease of newborns and as a medical and surgical emergency. Preterm and low birth weight babies have a higher risk. Treatment depends on severity and can include feeding through a tube, antibiotics and emergency surgery.

Also called NEC

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