Preface

摘要

Any caregiver involved in the management of premature infants will readily attest to the fact that ne'crotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is perhaps one of the most challenging and frustrating diseases to diagnose and treat. The challenge lies jn the fact that in its early stages, when survival may perhaps be most optimal, NEC can mimic other conditions such as neonatal sepsis or feeding dysfunction, which may result in a delay in diagnosis. By the time the diagnosis of NEC becomes most apparent due, for instance, to the presence of pneumatosis intestinalis or pneumo-peritoneum, the overall prognosis may already be severely compromised. The frustration on the part of caregivers lies in the fact that many infants continue to die from NEC despite the valiant efforts of neonatologists and pediatric surgeons, who are often surprised not only by the extent of intestinal necrosis they may encounter at laparotomy but also by the rapidity with which seemingly stable neonates' condition can deteriorate.