# Association of Placental Pathology and antibiotic exposure after birth with the Severity of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm infants - A Matched Case-Control Study

## TL;DR

This study found that preterm infants who received antibiotics for more than three days after birth were at higher risk of severe NEC and death.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel association between prolonged early antibiotic exposure and increased severity of NEC in preterm infants.

## Key findings

- Infants on antibiotics >3 days had higher risk for medical and surgical NEC.
- Prolonged antibiotic use was linked to a significantly higher risk of death in NEC cases.

## Abstract

To determine the association between antibiotic exposure following birth and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) severity in preterm infants.

This single center matched case-control study included infants with NEC (n=107) and matched controls (n= 130) with antibiotic exposure =< 3 days and > 3 days after birth.

Out of 212 infants,103 infants (48.5%) received antibiotics =< 3 days, and 109 infants (51.5%) received antibiotics >3 days. On the multivariate regression, Infants receiving antibiotics for >3 day had higher risk for medical NEC (aOR 2.61,95% CI 1.35 −5.16; p=0.005) and surgical NEC (aOR 3.33, CI 1.57–7.40; p=0.02) than controls. In NEC cohort, those receiving antibiotics for >3 days were like to die (OR 7.88,95% CI 1.99- 53.74; p=0.010) than those receiving antibiotics <3 days.

Infants exposed with early antibiotics >3 days after birth were more likely associated with NEC and were at greater risk of death.