Journal of Clinical Pediatrics ›› 2022, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (9): 641-646.doi: 10.12372/jcp.2022.22e1060

• Commentary •     Next Articles

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

ZHU Xueping1, QIAN Jihong2   

  1. 1. Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu, China
    2. Department of Neonatology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
  • Received:2022-08-01 Online:2022-09-15 Published:2022-08-26

Abstract:

It is difficult to early identify necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and its severity of illness. The Bell staging criteria is widely utilized to diagnose and evaluate the severity of NEC in clinical practice. Thanks to much advancement that have been achieved in molecular biology and neonatology, the preventive and therapeutic strategies for NEC are significantly improved. However, the morbidity and mortality of NEC are still unchanged. In recent years, the combination of omics and clinical data to find relevant biomarkers for early prediction of NEC, the prevention of NEC by breastfeeding and maintenance of gut microbiota homeostasis, and the exploration of stem cell and exosome related treatment have all brought new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of NEC. These means above will bring some new hopes to reduce the morbidity and mortality of NEC and improve its long-term outcomes.

Key words: necrotizing enterocolitis, omics, prevention, stem cell, exosome