Bowel Perforation in Premature Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Risk Factors and Outcomes

Table 1

General characteristics in NEC infants with and without bowel perforation.

	Perforated NEC group ()	Nonperforated NEC group ()
Gestational age (weeks)	31.52 ± 2.31	33.49 ± 2.57	0.03
Body weight (g)	1550 ± 550.25	1967.87 ± 518.98	0.03
Male	5 (50.00)	30 (63.83)	0.65
SGA	3 (30.00)	7 (14.80)	0.49
Twin pregnancy	5 (50.00)	13 (27.60)	0.31
Low Apgar score	1 (10.00)	5 (10.60)	1.00
In utero fetal distress	1 (10.00)	3 (6.30)	0.55
Cesarean section	6 (60.00)	30 (63.80)	1.00
Maternal diseases	4 (40.00)	17 (36.1)	1.00
SNAP-II	8.38 ± 4.75	8.14 ± 6.83	0.09
SNAPPE-II	12.88 ± 9.02	13.05 ± 9.96	0.96

Note: data were expressed as mean ± SD; data were expressed as the number (percentage within the group); defined as 5-minute Apgar score <7; compared to the nonperforated NEC group.
NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis; SGA, small for gestational age; SNAP, Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology; SNAPPE-II, SNAP-Perinatal Extension-II.
Among the NEC group with perforation, 4 cases gave up treatment (all the 4 cases died according to our follow-up by telephone call), while in the NEC group without perforation, 9 cases gave up treatment due to economic reasons (6 died and 3 survived).