. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Apr 1.

Published in final edited form as: Adv Neonatal Care. 2012 Apr;12(2):77–89. doi: 10.1097/ANC.0b013e31824cee94

TABLE 1.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Risk Differences by Gestation

Premature Infants	Late Preterm and Full-Term Infants
Birth weight < 1000 g^13,50	Cyanotic congenital heart disease^4,81
Highest risk with lowest GA^13,50	Polycythemia¹⁹
Feeding	Intrauterine growth restriction^13–16
Unstandardized approach to feeding and management of feeding intolerance^63,65,66	Formula feeding^12,14
Formula feeding^41,56–59	Maternal hypertensive disease¹⁷
Breast milk fortifier⁸⁰	HIV-positive mother²⁰
H2 blockers³¹	Umbilical catheters¹⁹
Chorioamnionitis¹⁸	Exchange transfusion¹⁹
Sepsis^4,24	Perinatal asphyxia¹³
Number of infections²⁸	Mechanical ventilation²⁸
Prolonged (≥5 d) first course of antibiotics⁷⁰	Sepsis^12,14
Patent ductus arteriosus^4,23,24	Maternal illicit drug use¹⁴
Indomethacin treatment^23,26,50	Respiratory distress syndrome¹⁴
Glucocorticoids and Indomethacin in first week of life⁵⁰	Apgar score < 7 at 5 min^13,50
Absence of umbilical arterial catheter⁵⁰
Mechanical ventilation^4,21,28,50
Transfusions^33,34
HIV-positive mother²⁰
Antenatal cocaine use¹⁶
Perinatal asphyxia²¹
Apgar score < 7 at 5 min³⁵
Black race^28,50
Antenatal glucocorticoids^a50
Morphine infusion⁸⁰
Vaginal delivery⁵⁰

Abbreviations: GI, gastrointestinal; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis.