Developing necrotizing enterocolitis: retrospective analysis of 1428 preterm infants at a level-III neonatal intensive care unit over a four years period.

Aim: To investigate NEC frequency in premature infants and assess risk factors associated with disease-onset and progression to intestinal perforation.

Methods: Retrospective cohort in preterm neonates hospitalized between 2015 and 2018. Perinatal characteristics, clinical features, nutritional data and laboratory outcome were analyzed using SPSS-23 statistical package.