Gut Permeability and Microbiome in Preterm Infants

NEC, a life-threatening, GI emergency characterized by increased IP, affects approximately 7 to 10% of preterm neonates, and typically occurs within 7 to 14 days of birth with mortality as high as 30-50%. NEC symptoms mainly involve GI dysfunction, such as abdominal distension and feeding intolerance, but the presentation can be non-specific with few warning signs. Current therapies may be invasive, including surgical interventions that are often ineffective due to the rapid progression of the disease. Prematurity is the greatest risk factor for development of NEC due to physiological immaturity of the GI tract and altered levels of the normal GI microbiota. Several studies suggest that the initiation of an intense systemic and local inflammatory cascade leads to intestinal necrosis . Antenatal exposure to infection/inflammation may predispose the developing intestinal mucosa to subseque