Abstract
The incidence of Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) varies widely but occurs in approximately 1 in 1000 live births and up to 10% of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants. Mortality is high around 20-30% but highest in preterm infants and in those requiring surgery. There is an association with feeds and bacteria in the pathogenesis as well as bacterial toxins. Formula milk is associated with a higher incidence of NEC than those infants receiving human milk or a mixture of both. There is no benefit in delaying the introduction of enteral feeds with breast milk but the rate of increase remains an area for research and discussion. An adopted standardized regime does appear to be protective. Further improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of NEC are still required.
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