Tag Archives: Necrotising Enterocolitis

Bloody Stools

Posted on 27 February 2013 by Keith Barrington

It is not infrequent in the neonatal unit to be faced with an infant who has rectal bleeding. In some places the tendency has been to assume that the infant has cows milk protein intolerance (even among those who are … Continue reading →

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The acid test

Posted on 7 February 2013 by Keith Barrington

As well as avoiding putting anything untested in the intestinal tracts of preterm babies, we should also leave alone their intestinal function. My good friend Sanjay Patole has published, with his group of systematic reviewers in Perth, a review of … Continue reading →

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Leave my gut alone!

Posted on 5 February 2013 by Keith Barrington

Many things that we put in the intestines of preterm infants increase the risk of necrotising enterocolitis, including xanthan gum, kayexalate, and now, it seems, gastrografin. A group from Vienna performed a masked RCT in 96 very low birth weight, … Continue reading →

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Transplanting Poo

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Keith Barrington

That’s right, Poo not Pooh; this post is not an AA Milne tribute. The smallest trial in a while at the PNEJM (van Nood E, Vrieze A, Nieuwdorp M, Fuentes S, Zoetendal EG, de Vos WM, Visser CE, Kuijper EJ, … Continue reading →

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How do Probiotics and Breast Milk prevent NEC?

Posted on 10 January 2013 by Keith Barrington

The question of the mechanism of action of probiotics and the manner in which breast milk reduces the incidence of NEC are important if we are to figure out for the future how to advance. There are specific components of … Continue reading →

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More about reflux: anti-acid medications may also be toxic placebos

Posted on 28 November 2012 by Keith Barrington

While I am still finalizing my long overdue chapter on gastro-esophageal reflux (sorry Sanjay if you are reading this, it is on its way, honestly) I have been reviewing the data on acid blockade as a potential treatment. Probably the … Continue reading →

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The Politics of Probiotics

Posted on 15 November 2012 by Keith Barrington

Annie Janvier and John Lantos and I have just published a ‘different view’ article in Acta Paediatrica, which has just appeared on-line. For various reasons we were asked to remove the references, so I list the references that we based … Continue reading →

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Feeding patterns and NEC

Posted on 6 November 2012 by Keith Barrington

I have discussed before evidence about whether the pattern of introduction or advancement of feeds affects NEC.  I noted that there is only one out of a large number of trials of feeding introduction and advancement which has shown an … Continue reading →

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More on Probiotics

Posted on 16 July 2012 by Keith Barrington

All of the accumulated evidence regarding probiotics in preterm infants to prevent necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) clearly shows that probiotic bacteria (specifically bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) are effective in reducing the incidence of NEC by more than 50%, they, as a result, reduce mortality in eligible infants. … Continue reading →

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Does the way we feed babies affect Necrotizing Enterocolitis?

Posted on 2 July 2012 by Keith Barrington

There is a widespread feeling that the method of introduction and advancement of feeds affects the frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis (known as NEC). Multiple observational studies have been published that seem to support this fear. However when we search for randomized controlled trials comparing feeding practices … Continue reading →

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