Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Necrotizing Enterocolitis is also known as NEC.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis is the most common form of damage caused to an infant’s intestinal tract and occurs in the second or third week of premature life. The damage done to the intestinal tract includes perforation and excess mucus injury. 10% of babies around the world are affected by NEC. The infection which gets set in the digestional tract becomes an inflammation which needs to be tended to immediately. If the damage is prolonged too much, it can develop a hole in the intestine. This also makes the body susceptible to any infection spread by the intestinal bacteria, through the bloodstream.

NEC is a critical condition which affects a premature newborn to the extent where the bowel dies, characterised by bloating, poor feeding, blood in the stool or vomiting of bili. This can further develop into abdominal discoloration, peritonitis and systemic hypotension. The condition is caused by unclear factors, but occurs mainly when a baby is born prematurely or falls sick.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis is also characterised by poor blood flow and infection of the intestines. As the child is a newborn, infection at this stage leads to certain complications and in extreme cases, death. Both male and female babies are affected with NEC equally. This condition was discovered during 1888-1891.

The first method opted upon seeing the signs of Necrotizing Enterocolitis is doing a physical examination to locate how badly the intestines have been already affected. If it is diagnosed in the early stages, the risk is less making NEC quite easy to overcome. The belly is checked for tenderness and distention. The doctor would further conduct an X-ray to check for inflammation in the intestinal tract. By inserting a needle in the abdomen, the doctor would check for any intestinal fluids. If found, it would suggest that a tear or hole has been made in the intestine, which needs to be taken care of.

NEC can also be detected by doing a platelet count. If the white blood cells are more in number, it would suggest the presence of necrotizing enterocolitis.The treatment would be based upon the baby’s age, weight, stage of the disease, health condition and so on. Changes can be made to the method of feeding, accompanied by the insertion of a nasogastric tube which would help keep an empty stomach. Intravenous fluids can be inserted to provide the baby adequate nutrition, coupled with providing oxygen or a mechanical ventilator which would help the baby breathe.

Premature babies are more susceptible to NEC. Babies born at the right age, who might have fallen sick can also show signs of the same and are hence eligible for the treatment upon diagnosis.

Babies need to be of a certain weight and in the right health condition to undergo treatment for NEC. The doctor would go further with the treatment based on the baby’s age, weight, stage of the disease, health condition, and the ability borne by the child to go through the procedure.

If the baby is diagnosed with a mild form of NEC, and treated only with some antibiotics then there would be no long term complications after the treatment. However, in cases where a part or more than half of the intestines have to be removed, necrotizing enterocolitis causes some life long effects which include urinary troubles and weight issues. In a long term scenario, individuals affected with NEC as babies might find it difficult to put on weight. They might also have trouble with bladder related issues, like going to the bathroom too often or being infected with diarrhea.

Since necrotizing enterocolitis is a critical condition which puts a baby's intestines at stake, the baby might have to be hospitalised for a few more weeks post treatment for NEC, because of further complications or infections arisen due to the premature birth. The kind of treatment undergone to rid the baby off of NEC also plays a great role in determining what the post treatment scenario would be. The baby needs to be kept under strict vigilance to ensure that no other infection occurs and further deteriorates his or her condition. Stem cell therapy and captopril can also be practiced on the baby to prevent NEC from reoccurring.

A baby diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis generally takes about 10-12 days to recover.

The treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis is generally costly, ranging between Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000.

The results of the treatment depend upon the adversity of the condition. If it is a mild NEC, then further NEC can be prevented the same way. However, if the need to remove the intestines arise, it leaves a permanent mark. The treatment also does not guarantee the prevention of the occurrence of further NECs.