Gastrointestinal perforations in neonatal period: experience over 10 years

Abstract

Aim: This report describes our experience concerning gastrointestinal perforation due to necrotizing enterocolitis during a 10-year period.

Method: The cases of 27 gastrointestinal perforations, which were treated in our hospital, were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: All patients were neonates and infants up to the age of 2 months. The study population consisted of 16 boys (59.3%) and 11 girls (40.7%). Twenty-one neonates (77.8%) were preterm, and the median gestational age was 28 weeks. Twenty-four cases (88.9%) of perforation underwent laparotomy. The overall mortality was 63%. Seventy-six percent of the preterm neonates and only 16.7% of the full-term neonates died.

Conclusions: Gastrointestinal perforation is still connected with a high mortality rate, with necrotizing enterocolitis being the main cause of death. The neonates who did not undergo surgery all died.