Abstract
Gastric and fecal microflora were studied in 3 groups of infants: 1-27 infants with NEC; II-41 Infants in the same neonatal intensive care unit; III-30 full-term neonates. There were no significant differences among the groups except for the geatational ages and birth weights in group III. Significantly greater (p<0.05) numbers of gram negative aerobic species were isolated from gastric aspirates of NEC patients than from infants and controls; for K. pneumoniae the difference between NEC infants and controls was significant at p<0.001. Fecal gram negative aerobic organisms were recovered from infants with NEC in a frequency similar to full-term infants but greater (p<0.01) than other sick neonates. Fecal anaerobes were recovered from infants with NEC and other sick neonates significantly less frequently (p<0.005) than from healthy infants.
Analysis of the gastric and fecal microflora of infants with NEC shows a characteristic pattern. This may, in part, account for the development of NEC in certain infants. It may also explain the benefits accrued from aminoglycoside therapy in NEC.
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Bell, M., Ternberg, J., Brotherton, T. et al. GASTROINTESTINAL MICROFLORA IN INFANTS WITH NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC). Pediatr Res 11, 531 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00967
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00967