Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jan 6:10:1079894.
doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1079894. eCollection 2022.

Risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates: A meta-analysis

Yan Su  1 , Rui-Hong Xu  1 , Li-Yan Guo  1 , Xin-Qing Chen  1 , Wen-Xiao Han  1 , Jin-Jin Ma  1 , Jiao-Jiao Liang  1 , Ling Hao  1 , Chang-Jun Ren  1
Affiliations
Review

Risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates: A meta-analysis

Yan Su et al. Front Pediatr. .

Abstract

Objective: The objective is to identify the risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in neonates by a meta-analysis, and to provide a reference for the prevention of NEC.

Methods: The databases, including Chinese Biomedical Literature Datebase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and Weipu Periodical database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, were searched for studies on the risk factors for NEC in neonates. The meta-analysis was carried out with the aid of Stata software.

Results: A total of 52 studies were included, with 48 case-control studies and 4 cohort studies. There were 166,580 neonates in total, with 33,522 neonates in the case group and 133,058 neonates in the control group. The meta-analysis showed that gestational diabetes (OR = 3.62, 95% CI:1.77-7.41), premature rupture of membranes (OR = 3.81, 95% CI:1.16-12.52), low birth weight (OR = 3.00, 95% CI:2.26-3.97), small for gestational age (OR = 1.85, 95% CI:1.15-2.97), septicemia (OR = 4.34, 95% CI:3.06-6.15), blood transfusion (OR = 3.08, 95% CI:2.16-4.38), congenital heart disease (OR = 2.73, 95% CI:1.10-6.78), respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 2.12, 95% CI:1.24-3.63), premature birth (OR = 5.63, 95% CI:2.91-10.92), pneumonia (OR = 4.07, 95% CI:2.84-5.82) were risk factors for NEC in neonates. Breastfeeding (OR = 0.37, 95% CI:0.23-0.59), take probiotics (OR = 0.30, 95% CI:0.22-0.40), prenatal use of glucocorticoids (OR = 0.39, 95% CI:0.30-0.50), Hyperbilirubinemia (OR = 0.28, 95% CI:0.09-0.86) were protective factors for NEC in neonates.

Conclusions: Gestational diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, low birth weight, small for gestational age, septicemia, blood transfusion, congenital heart disease, respiratory distress syndrome, premature birth, and pneumonia may increase the risk of NEC in neonates. Breastfeeding, taking probiotics, prenatal use of glucocorticoids, and Hyperbilirubinemia may reduce the risk of NEC in neonates.

Keywords: meta analysis; necrotizing enterocolitis; neonate; newborn; risk factor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of document screening.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Marseglia L, D'Angelo G, Manti S, Aversa S, Reiter RJ, Antonuccio P, et al. Oxidative stress-mediated damage in newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis: a possible role of melatonin. Am J Perinatol. (2015) 32:905–9. 10.1055/s-0035-1547328 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lim JC, Golden JM, Ford HR. Pathogenesis of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. Pediatr Surg Int. (2015) 31:509–18. 10.1007/s00383-015-3697-9 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yang QY, Lin ZL. Research progress on the risk factors of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. Chin J Birth Health Hered. (2022) 30:905–9. 10.13404/j.cnki.cjbhh.2022.05.028 - DOI
    1. Lichtenstein MJ, Mulrow CD, Elwood PC. Guidelines for Reading case-control studies. J Chronic Dis. (1987) 40:893–903. 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90190-1 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ahle M, Drott P, Elfvin A, Andersson RE. Maternal, fetal and perinatal factors associated with necrotizing enterocolitis in Sweden. A national case-control study. PLoS One. (2018) 13:e0194352. 10.1371/journal.pone.0194352 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources