Fikir M. Mesfin

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract. It affects 2–5% of premature infants and carries a mortality rate of up to 50%. (1) The culminating end point of NEC is intestinal necrosis which requires emergent surgical resection of diseased bowel.

1 INTRODUCTION Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a devastating and morbid condition in premature and low birth weight neonates and is associated with mortality rates as high as 20%–30% (Jacob et al., 2015).

Abstract : Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases have a high prevalence throughout the United States. Screening and diagnostic modalities are often expensive and invasive, and therefore, people do not utilize them effectively. Lack of proper screening and diagnostic assessment may lead to delays in diagnosis, more advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, and higher morbidity and mortality rates.