Abstract
The widely varied institutional reports of incidence rates and fatality ratios (FR) of NEC prompted a statewide epidemiologic study of this disease. We defined NEC using the criteria of Bell (J Pediatric Surg 1978;187:1), and identified all cases of NEC occurring in Georgia residents born during 1977 and 1978. Case finding included visits to tertiary-care centers, a telephone survey of smaller nurseries with follow-up visits when necessary, and contact of intensive-care nurseries in neighboring states. Hospital-chart review identified 148 cases; 78 infants were females and 70 males. Birth-weight and rate-specific incidence rates and FR were:
NEC rates for infants weighing less than 2500 grams were higher for blacks than whites (p<.005). Weight-specific FR were not affected by transport. Weight-specific incidence rates and FR did not vary significantly among 6 tertiary centers. NEC deaths represented 15% of all post-hebdomadal deaths of infants weighing less than 1500 grams. Further evaluation of NEC in populations of different socioeconomic and ethnic makeup is needed.
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Wilson, R., Kanto, W., Mccarthy, B. et al. 500 EPIDEMIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC) IN GEORGIA. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 523 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00513
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00513