Prematurity and functional gastrointestinal disorders in infancy: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Neonatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are chronic digestive symptoms without identifiable structural or biochemical causes.
• The link between prematurity and FGIDs is an area of growing research interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare FGID prevalence in preterm versus term infants.
• To assess if neonatal invasive procedures in preterm infants correlate with FGID development up to two years of age.

Main Methods:

• A controlled nested cross-sectional study was conducted.
• 197 infants (99 preterm, 98 term) under 24 months were evaluated retrospectively using Rome IV criteria.
• Data collected included gestational/neonatal history and digestive symptoms.

Main Results:

• Infant regurgitation was more frequent in term infants (35.1%) compared to preterm infants (15.6%).
• No significant differences in the frequency of other FGIDs (colic, constipation, diarrhea, dyschezia) were observed between preterm and term infants.
• Neonatal invasive procedures did not show an association with FGID development in preterm infants.

Conclusions:

• Preterm infants do not exhibit a higher prevalence of FGIDs in the first two years of life compared to term infants.
• The study found no correlation between neonatal invasive procedures and the subsequent development of FGIDs in preterm infants.