A Prospective Cohort Study of Fecal miR-223 and miR-451a as Noninvasive and Specific Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants

Prospective cohort study (n=218) evaluating fecal miR-223, miR-451a, and calprotectin as noninvasive NEC biomarkers in preterm infants found significantly elevated levels in NEC cases but poor clinical utility due to overlapping concentrations and low stool recovery rates within 72 hours of presentation, limiting acute-phase diagnostic value.