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Updated: May 28, 2026
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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Long-term neurodevelopment in preterm neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis: systematic review and meta-analysis
Katrien Vandenberghe1, Liselotte Van Loo1,2, Thomas Vandendriessche3
1Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Infants surviving necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) face higher risks of neurodevelopmental impairment, affecting motor skills, cognition, and senses. This risk persists regardless of gestational age, emphasizing the need for ongoing developmental monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Background:
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe complication in preterm infants, linked to mortality and long-term issues like gastrointestinal problems, brain injury, and developmental delays.
- Understanding the long-term neurodevelopmental impact on NEC survivors is crucial for improving their care and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants (born <34 weeks gestation) who survived NEC.
- To identify specific neurodevelopmental domains most vulnerable to impairment in NEC survivors.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science following PRISMA guidelines.
- Quality assessment using the GRADE system and bias evaluation with the ROBINS-E tool.
- Gestational-age stratified subgroup analyses (22-28 weeks vs. 29-34 weeks) were conducted.
Main Results:
- NEC survivors show a significantly increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment (RR 1.42).
- Impairments are noted in motor skills (RR 2.08), cognition (RR 1.75), vision (RR 4.36), hearing (RR 4.09), and cerebral palsy (RR 2.48).
- The increased risk of impairment persists into school age and is independent of gestational age.
Conclusions:
- NEC survivors have a heightened risk of neurodevelopmental deficits across multiple domains, regardless of gestational age.
- These findings underscore the necessity for targeted, long-term follow-up and individualized interventions for developmental delays in childhood.
