Related Experiment Videos
The effect of abdominal incisions on early motor development of infants with necrotizing enterocolitis
N P Simon1, N R Brady, R L Stafford
1Division of Neonatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30335-3801.
Insights
Infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) needing surgery showed more motor delays up to 24 months. These delays, affecting abdominal muscles, tended to resolve over time.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Surgery
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal condition in premature infants.
- Surgical intervention for NEC may impact infant neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Understanding long-term effects of NEC treatment is crucial for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low-birthweight infants with NEC.
- To compare motor development between infants with surgical vs. non-surgical NEC management.
- To identify the persistence and nature of motor delays in NEC survivors.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal neurodevelopmental testing of 18 very low-birthweight infants with NEC until 2 years corrected age.
- Group comparison: surgical NEC intervention (N=6) vs. non-surgical therapy (N=12).
- Assessment of motor skills, particularly those involving abdominal musculature.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher incidence of motor delay in the surgical NEC group at 8 and 15 months corrected age.
- At 24 months, only one infant in the surgical group had persistent motor delays.
- Motor delays observed were primarily related to skills influenced by abdominal muscle function.
Conclusions:
- Infants requiring surgery for NEC exhibit a higher rate of initial motor delays compared to those managed non-surgically.
- These motor delays appear to be transient, with significant resolution by 24 months corrected age.
- Findings highlight the importance of monitoring and early intervention for motor development in surgical NEC survivors.
Abstract:
Eighteen very low-birthweight infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) underwent periodic neurodevelopmental testing until two years of age. They were grouped according to whether they had had surgical intervention (N = 6) or non-surgical therapy (N = 12). At eight and 15 months corrected age, a significantly greater number of the surgical group exhibited motor delay. At 24 months, only one infant in the surgical group had persistent motor delays. These findings indicate a higher incidence of motor delays in infants requiring surgery for NEC. The delays involved skills influenced by the abdominal musculature. These motor delays persisted up to 24 months, but appeared to resolve with time.