Necrotizing enterocolitis and its association with the neonatal abstinence syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe an identified association between necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and prenatal opioid exposure with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in late preterm and full-term neonates.

STUDY DESIGN

In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we analyzed inborn neonates with the diagnosis of NEC discharged from 2012 through 2017. We compared infants with NEC > 35 weeks' gestation to those with NEC<35 weeks' gestation. We compared gestational age, birth weight, age of onset of symptoms, and incidence of prenatal drug exposure between groups. Significance was determined using Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Over the study period, 23 infants were identified with NEC, 9 (39%) were babies > 35 weeks at birth and 14 (61%) < 35 weeks. Those > 35 weeks had a higher birth weight, earlier onset of symptoms, and a higher percentage of prenatal exposure to opioids compared to those < 35 weeks' gestation. We further described seven infants with late gestational age onset NEC associated with prenatal opioid exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort of infants with NEC discharged over a 6 year period we found a higher than expected percentage of infants born at a later gestational age. We speculate that prenatal opioid exposure might be a risk factor for NEC in neonates born at > 35 weeks.