THE RELATION BETWEEN ABDOMINAL OXYGENATION AND INTESTINAL INJURY IN NECROTISING ENTEROCOLITIS IN PRETERM INFANTS

Abstract

The article presents data on scientific research conducted to study abdominal oximetry indicators in preterm infants suspected of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) for early diagnosis and prediction of the disease course. The study included 88 preterm newborns of both sexes suspected of NEC. The control group consisted of 30 healthy preterm newborns. Of the 88 children suspected of NEC, 43 were girls and 45 were boys. The control group included 15 boys and 15 girls. Cerebral and abdominal regional oxygenation indicators in sick and healthy children were studied using NIRS (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) with a Somanetics INVOS 5100C oximeter (Covidien, Medtronic, USA, 2006). An indicator of intestinal barrier dysfunction, claudin-3, was determined in urine using a non-invasive ELISA method, and reagent kits from BT LAB were used. The study revealed that preterm infants suspected of NEC had decreased oximetry indicators compared to the control group. There was also a decrease in claudin-3 levels in the intestine, and as a result, an increase in its excretion through urine. Based on the study results, it can be concluded that NIRS and claudin-3 indicators can serve as early and reliable markers for diagnosing and predicting the disease course in preterm infants suspected of NEC.