Defining necrotizing enterocolitis: current difficulties and future opportunities

Abstract

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized infants. First classified through Bell staging in 1978, a number of additional definitions of NEC have been proposed in the subsequent decades. In this review, we summarize eight current definitions of NEC, and explore similarities and differences in clinical signs and radiographic features included within these definitions, as well as their limitations. We highlight the importance of a global consensus on defining NEC to improve NEC research and outcomes, incorporating input from participants at an international NEC conference. We also highlight the important role of patient-families in helping to redefine NEC.