Necrotising enterocolitis incidence

Method

Proportion of infants developing necrotising enterocolitis, staged by the modified Bell criteria, pooled as a risk ratio or odds ratio. The stage counted as an event is recorded on the edge, most often Bell stage II or above.

The method is part of the endpoint identity. Studies measuring the same quantity by a different method are held as separate endpoints.

Notes

26 papers — 10 pooled analyses and 9 systematic reviews, the largest neonatal gap the corpus was carrying. A FALL is benefit. Reported almost always alongside mortality and sepsis in the same sentence, which is a 40-word-cap hazard rather than a conflation risk.

Findings

1 finding from 1 compound, strongest first.

• L-arginine — decreases

  BLikelyGrade B, Likely. Human evidence, limited replication or design limits.Finding

  “L-arginine had a 59% reduction in the incidence of stage II and III NEC (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.85, NNT = 9) compared with placebo (P = 0.02).”

  Study

  meta-analysis

  Population

  preterm infants born at 34 weeks gestation or less with birth weight 1500 g or less; event definition is stage II and III NEC

  Arginine supplementation in prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in the premature infant: an updated systematic review.2014PMID:25205007