FOCAL INTESTINAL PERFORATION IN PRETERM INFANTS IS AN EMERGING DISEASE

In order to elicit the pathogenesis of focal intestinal perforation in preterm infants we contrasted 8 infants who developed this disease wi th 16 gestation-matched controls. The cases were found to have lower b irthweights for gestation (median standard deviation score of -1.02 in cases versus -0.08 in controls), and more frequently had pre-existing patent ductus arteriosus and intraventricular haemorrhage (88 and 63% in cases versus 25 and 6% in controls, respectively). There were simi lar rates of other perinatal variables in the two groups, including in domethacin and umbilical arterial catheter use. Conditions associated with fetal or neonatal hypoxia are important antecedents for this emer ging distinct clinical entity.