“Etiopathogenesis of Necrotizing Enteroculitis: A Point of View from Vascular Biology"

Keywords: necrotizing enterocolitis, NEC

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious bowel infection that can cause parts of the bowel to die off (necrosis). It is one of the most severe and life-threatening acute conditions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and is largely found in premature babies and newborns with a very low birth weight. The cause of NEC is unknown. One of the suspected causes is the underdeveloped regulation of blood flow to the intestines, which is what this dissertation focuses on. This dissertation provides more insight into the underlying mechanisms and the development of blood vessel reactivity in the intestines during and shortly after pregnancy. It also provides further evidence to suggest that genetic variation in the CPS1 gene can increase the likelihood of premature babies developing NEC.