The babies born with low weight and the premature ones require additional nutrition to boost them as they grow. That's why many nurses, hospitals, and doctors in the US recommend premature babies be put on baby formula since they cannot breastfeed. Although it's a perfect way to develop the baby, this is not often the case.

Recent studies have shown cow-based formulas result in deadly conditions for premature infants. Using cow-based milk is linked to a gastrointestinal disorder known as necrotizing enterocolitis. The condition can lead to blood poisoning, infections, and death.

When your baby suffers a necrotizing enterocolitis condition, you are entitled to receive compensation. However, you require the services of a skilled attorney. At Consumer Alert Now, our experts are here for you. We offer unmatched legal services to help parents whose babies suffer NEC in hospitals receive compensation.

What is Necrotizing Enterocolitis?

NEC is a condition that affects many infants born with less weight or born prematurely. The condition is caused by bacteria which affects the infant's intestines leading to inflammation and infection. The inflammation of the baby's colon results in the death of their tissues in the organ, destroying the intestine walls.

Note, the inflammation may also lead to perforation of the intestine walls. When the infant's intestine walls are destroyed, the condition will tear and cause organ failure, overwhelming infection, and even death. Generally, necrotizing enterocolitis affects one child in every 2000 infants.

Symptoms for Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Babies

NEC occurs in babies aged between birth and two weeks in many cases. However, the condition may show symptoms many weeks after delivery. Remember, every baby will experience this condition differently. The following are the potential symptoms for necrotizing enterocolitis in babies:

  • Bloody stool
  • Abdominal swelling
  • Temperature instability
  • Infection signs like apnea and lethargy
  • Feeding intolerance or poor feeding
  • Gastric drainage or bile colored vomiting

How Is Necrotizing Enterocolitis Diagnosed?

Your doctor might notice tenderness and swelling belly during a physical examination. In rare cases, the doctor may feel a mass that indicates perforation in the affected area. Sometimes, the doctor may see redness in the child's abdominal walls. The redness may indicate perforation and inflammation of the child's membrane lining.

To rule out or confirm this condition, your child's doctor may perform an abdominal X-Ray. The x-ray will show several bubbles in the child's walls of their intestines. Serial films will assist the doctor in assessing the progression of the disease. When the child is in a severe state, the X Rays will reveal gas or air in their liver's veins.

Risk Factors

The babies suffering from this condition due to the cow-based formula are in this position since they were born underweight or premature. You must understand the potential risk factors well. There is no clear cause of preterm birth. However, there are several known elements like:

  • Conceiving through Vitro fertilization
  • The parent had a prior premature birth
  • The mother had a period of less than half a year between pregnancies
  • A mother pregnant with triplets or twins
  • Uterus, placenta, or cervix complications
  • Smoking cigarettes
  • An underweight mother
  • High stress while pregnant
  • Previous abortions
  • Physical injury
  • Diabetes and high blood pressure

For unknown facts, black women are more susceptible to preterm birth than other races. But take note preterm birth may happen to any pregnant mother. Indeed, many mothers who have experienced preterm birth do not have a known factor.

How Doctors Treat Necrotizing Enterocolitis

The treatment for NEC is usually surgical or medical. When the child's intestine is unperforated and is affected on a small portion of their intestines, the doctor will try medical treatment first. Many babies with NEC conditions do not require surgical procedures to curb the situation. So, many babies recover after medical treatment and resume their everyday lives. A medical treatment procedure will involve:

  • The doctor will recommend the child stop all kinds of feedings.
  • The medical expert will also insert a tube to the baby's stomach through their nose to ensure the stomach remains empty.
  • Begin IV fluids to ensure the child is well hydrated and nourished.
  • Provide antibiotics
  • Perform regular X Rays to assess and monitor your child's condition
  • Give a breathing device or extra oxygen when your child is swollen
  • Keep the alleged baby away from others to help prevent the spread of the condition

Surgery will be necessary when your child fails to respond to your doctor's medical treatment. A well-trained surgeon will examine the parts of the child's intestine affected and remove them. However, the pediatric surgeon will leave as large a portion of the intestine as possible to help it retain function. In many cases, the surgeon will drain the child's abdomen to drain the affected fluid.

The surgeon will then create a temporary Ostomy to heal the baby's bowel. To many parents, NEC diagnosis is a frightening experience. It is a frustrating situation not to feed your baby, especially when small. Not breastfeeding your baby will be next to impossible to create the essential bonding between parents and babies.  Remember, with medical treatment, your baby has an excellent chance to start their regular feeding within the shortest time possible. A baby in need of surgery will have a tough road ahead, although many survive.

The Outlook of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Many infants suffering from necrotizing enterocolitis fully recover. In rare cases, the child's bowel is narrow or scared. This leads to blockage in the future. The babies who had a large portion of their intestine removed during surgery find it challenging to absorb nutrients. In severe cases, the babies require a transplant.

Today, there is no method to avoid necrotizing enterocolitis. However, studies have indicated babies feeding human breast milk had fewer chances to grow this condition. That's why many medical experts recommend feeding babies in small amounts. Many researchers are working hard to develop a new treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis, including probiotics.

Contact an Infant Doctor Near Me

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a severe condition that may affect your baby. That's why you require a well-trained expert to help you diagnose and treat the condition before it worsens. At Consumer Alert Now, we educate parents on the benefits of having their babies diagnosed to help stop NEC. If you are in America and have seen the above symptoms in your baby, you need to call us right away. Contact us at 800-511-0747 and we will help you treat the condition