Necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has emerged as a major cause of mortality and morbidity in infants. Despite considerable research, prevention and/or cure remain elusive because NEC is not a clear target. It represents more than one disease with multifactorial pathogenic mechanisms. Databases for NEC are blurry at best; hence, epidemiologic research on this disease is hampered by the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes the major form of this disease. Likewise, animal models that putatively represent the disease are off mark since they only represent a limited component of the disease seen in human infants.
Source: Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research