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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Phototherapy: a new risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants?
Jie Li1, Xiao-Yun Zhong1, Li-Gang Zhou1
1Department of Pediatrics, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University/Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China.
Objective:
To investigate the association between phototherapy (PT) and the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Study Design:
A retrospective case-control study was conducted on VLBW infants with or without NEC (stage IIA or greater) born at ≤35 weeks' gestation in a tertiary hospital over 7 years. Sample size calculation, trend test, as well as univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed.
Results:
A total of 824 VLBW infants were reviewed, with 74 cases and 122 controls finally enrolled. The odds of NEC increased with the duration and number of PT sessions. Exposure to >120 h and >4 instances of PT were significantly associated with NEC in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
This is the first study suggesting a potential association between PT and development of NEC in VLBW infants. This association needs further exploration.
