NEC- What is it?
NEC stands for Necrotizing Enterocolitis. "Necrotizing" means the death of tissue, "entero" refers to the small intestine, "colo" to the large inestine, and "itis" means inflammation. This affects one in 2000 to 4000 births, which is between 1 to 5% of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. NEC is the most common and serious gastrointestinal disorder among hospitalized preterm infants. This typically occurs within the first 2 weeks of life, usually after milk feeding has begun. The exact causes of NEC are unknown.
Signs and Symptoms:
- poor tolerance to feedings
- feedings stay in stomach longer than expected
- decreased bowel sounds
- abdominal distension (bloating) and tenderness
- greenish vomit
- redness of the abdomen
- increase in stools, or lack of stools
- bloody stools
For more information check out this website: http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/nec.html
* the information on this page is taken from the above website, just highlights some of the understandings of NEC. Please check out the whole website for all information. Thank you.*