Is Necrotizing Enterocolitis the Same Disease in Term and Preterm Infants?

Retrospective 10-year study comparing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in term versus preterm infants found distinct clinical patterns: term infants developed NEC earlier (4 vs 17 days) and had higher rates of congenital heart disease (33% vs 10%), but required less operative intervention. These findings suggest NEC may represent different disease processes depending on gestational age at birth.