Spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) of the newborn, is an isolated perforation of the intestinal tract, which occurs primarily in preterm infants, especially in extremely premature infants (born at < 28 weeks gestational age) who are born at very low birth weight (birth weight
This study aimed to examine the risk factors for Spontaneous intestinal perforation in premature infants, who were hospitalized in a single Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a tertiary medical center in Israel.
36 premature infants were included in this study. 18 developed SIP, and 18 did not develop this complication and served as the control group. Median gestational age (GA) in the study group was 25.1 weeks (23.6 – 31.3), and 26 weeks (24-31.6) in the control group. Median birth weight was 704 grams and 751 grams in the study and control groups, respectively. Administration of antenatal corticosteroids and indomethacin did not differ among groups. Infants who developed SIP were less like to have been weaned off mechanical ventilation compared to infants without perforation (p=0.007). Infants with SIP were initially fed later in comparison to infants without SIP (mean day 4 and 2, respectively, p=0.013). rates of Necrotizing EnteroColitis did not differ between the groups. Infants with SIP necesitated more laparotomies compared to those without SIP (p=0.027). Mortality trended to be higher among infants with SIP (p=0.06).
In conclusion, infants with SIP exhibited a more complicated clinical course before and after the development of the perforation.
