ArticleEuropean journal of pediatrics2026
Hypoxic-ischemic enterocolitis in extremely low birth weight infants: diagnostic insights from a pilot study.
Article in European journal of pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischemic enterocolitis (HIEnt) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants represents a significant clinical challenge, frequently occurring in the first week and remaining undetected because of its non-specific presentation. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for improving the poor outcomes associated with this condition. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate early diagnostic tools and characterize HIEnt in a cohort of ELBW infants during the first week of life, with the goal of identifying promising markers for future large-scale studies. In this prospective, single-center pilot study, 23 ELBW infants (< 1000 g) born from July 2023 to February 2024 were enrolled. Clinical, perinatal, and neonatal variables, along with serum biomarkers (sodium, platelets, bicarbonate, and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein [I-FABP]), were systematically collected on days 2, 4, and 6. HIEnt was diagnosed according to modified Bell's criteria. Three infants (13%) were diagnosed with HIEnt. HIEnt cases exhibited significantly lower birth weight (mean 568.33 g vs. 818.00 g; p = 0.03) and a higher incidence of abnormal antenatal Doppler findings (100% vs. 20%; p = 0.02) compared to non-HIEnt infants. Platelet counts were lower in the HIEnt group on day 4 (p = 0.06), and initiation of diet was significantly delayed (mean 14.5 days vs. 3.59 days; p = 0.04). Serum I-FABP levels did not demonstrate significant differences or consistent temporal trends, and common clinical symptoms did not distinguish between groups.
conclusionPrenatal risk factors, low birth weight, feeding intolerance, and decreased platelet levels may serve as early indicators of HIEnt in ELBW infants, underscoring the condition's distinct pathophysiological origins. These findings underscore the need for integrated, multimodal diagnostic strategies and support the pursuit of larger, multicenter validation studies to improve the detection of HIEnt and outcomes in this vulnerable population. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Hypoxic-Ischemic Enterocolitis (HIEnt) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants is a distinct and severe condition manifesting within the first week of life. It is frequently underdiagnosed due to non-specific clinical signs and the limited sensitivity of existing diagnostic tools. WHAT IS KNOWN: • This pilot study identifies significant predictors and diagnostic tools, including lower birth weight, abnormal antenatal Doppler findings, early platelet decline, and feeding intolerance, as potential early indicators of HIEnt in ELBW infants during the first week of life, underscoring the need for multimodal diagnostic strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.