View clinical trials related to Enterocolitis.
Filter by:Prophylactic probiotics have been shown to decrease the incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) in premature neonates. However, there is some resistance to giving live bacteria to small babies. Based on animal data, the investigators hypothesized that heat inactivated probiotics would also reduce NEC.
Nowadays feeding intolerance (FI) is a common condition among preterm infants. It has been estimated that 16%-29% of premature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) develop feeding intolerance at some point during their length of stay. The most frequent signs of FI are the presence of abdominal distension, abundant and/or bilious gastric residuals and vomiting suggesting an inability of the infant to further tolerate enteral nutrition, it increases with decreasing in gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW). FI represents one of the most uncontrollable variables in the early nutritional management of these infants, and may lead to suboptimal nutrition, delayed attainment of full enteral feeding and prolonged parenteral nutrition supply. NIRS has been used in preterm infants to evaluate changes in cerebral perfusion and oxygenation. It provides real time insight into the oxygen delivery, presented as regional oxygen saturation rSO2 with lower values than SpO2 distal pulse-oximetry where is mostly measured as arterialized capillary bed (around 55% vs 98% Oxygen saturation in regional NIRS vs conventional pulse-oximetry). Light easily penetrates the thin tissues of the neonate through bone and soft tissue, particularly the thin capillary bed of the tissues; NIRS provides non-invasive, continuous information on tissue perfusion and oxygen dynamics. This technique uses principles of optical spectrophotometry that make use of the fact that biological material, including the skull, is relatively transparent in the NIR range. Dave et al. evaluated the abdominal tissue oxygenation with NIRS, and showed that preterm infants change their cerebral - splanchnic oxygenation ratios during feedings, mainly because an increasing in the splanchnic oxygenation. Gay et al. performed abdominal NIRS in premature piglets showing association of perfusion/oxygen changes with NEC spectrum. The investigators would like to evaluate the association between feeding intolerance and unchanged splanchnic regional saturation and variation in the cerebral splanchnic ratio. Innovation: FI diagnosis follows a subjective approach, where the clinician is worried in further risk of develop Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This non-studied relationship (FI and NEC) lower the threshold for the diagnosis of FI. Furthermore, infants with FI diagnosis commonly are subject of stop or slow the progression of feedings, increasing the risk of intestinal villi atrophy, and increase the length of parenteral nutrition support, and also the length of stay in the NICU settings. If NIRS technology help the clinicians to detect true abnormalities objectively as a new monitor assessing adequate feeds progress decreasing failure to feed, and therefore diminishing the need for parenteral feeds and further complication associated with it.
There is an increasing incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) affecting the premature infant population, principally those with associated risk like extreme prematurity, extreme low birth weight, associated co-morbidities (Congenital heart disease, perinatal asphyxia) and those born in hospitals with limited resources for optimal neonatal care. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), has been used in premature infants to evaluate changes in cerebral perfusion and oxygenation. (1) It provides real time insight into the oxygen delivery.(3) In the premature patient population, many neurologic injuries occur as a result of prenatal (pre-existing) and/or postnatal disturbance on oxygen delivery. NIRS has been focused in cerebral monitoring. Light easily penetrates through neonatal bone and skin tissue, and allows to monitor the subjacent oxygen content. Early studies were performed to validate NIRS measurements and have established normative data.(4-6) The non-invasive method of monitoring cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation has revolutionized the intensive care units in patients at risk for neurological injuries. This method has been successfully validated to monitor neonatal cerebral oxygenation in different clinical settings and study protocols. (7) NIRS provides non-invasive, continuous information on tissue perfusion and oxygen dynamics. One of the biggest challenges of NEC spectrum diseases is in the making of early diagnosis. It is important to monitor not just cerebral perfusion but also the intestinal oxygenation.(8,9) Previous studies with NIRS have demonstrated that premature infants change their cerebral - splanchnic oxygenation ratios during feedings.(10) Guy et al. performed NIRS in premature piglets to demonstrate association of perfusion change with NEC spectrum(11,12); these studies suggest evidence that NIRS could be a useful diagnostic tool in the premature infant population trough abdominal NIRS (a-NIRS) measurement capable of detecting alterations in intestinal oxygenation and perfusion. In summary, a-NIRS could be use in the premature infant population to define reference values, especially in patients at risk, which would then facilitate the early diagnosis of NEC spectrum diseases.