Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Current Understanding and Challenges for the Future

Giuseppe De Bernardo; Carolina Vecchione; Carmen Langella; Carla Ziello; Grazia Parisi; Maurizio Giordano; Giuseppe Buonocore; Serafina Perrone

doi:10.2174/0115733963318619240923062033

Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Current Understanding and Challenges for the Future

Curr Pediatr Rev. 2024 Sep 26. doi: 10.2174/0115733963318619240923062033. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Giuseppe De Bernardo¹, Carolina Vecchione², Carmen Langella¹, Carla Ziello², Grazia Parisi², Maurizio Giordano³, Giuseppe Buonocore⁴, Serafina Perrone⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Woman and Child, Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
² Division of Pediatrics, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
³ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
⁴ Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
⁵ Neonatology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Pietro Barilla Children's Hospital, Parma, Italy.

PMID: 39328129
DOI: 10.2174/0115733963318619240923062033

Abstract

This perspective reviews the definition and current understanding of necrotizing enterocolitis and evaluates a future prevention approach to this multifactorial disease. An overview of the prevention approach in general is presented, where key aspects and emerging criticisms are identified. In addition, key elements of early diagnosis and treatment are presented, together with some of their challenges and ambiguities. Moreover, it concludes with emerging questions from the global community to reach a consensus on the definition, diagnosis, and management of necrotizing enterocolitis disease.

Keywords: Preterm newborns; antibiotics; dysbiosis; genetic predisposition.; low body weight; metabolites; mother; ultrasound.