Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Term Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Associated Risk Factors…

Cohort studyJournal of cardiovascular development and disease· Jul 2026

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Term Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Associated Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

Demet Kangel, Eymen Recep, Burcu Çevlik … Erkut Öztürk

Pediatric SurgeryCohort studyQ1IF 2.7

Necrotizing enterocolitis linked to markedly higher mortality in neonates with critical congenital heart disease

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Term Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Associated Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

Demet Kangel … Erkut Öztürk

Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · Jul 2026

Background

Necrotizing enterocolitis (necrotizing enterocolitis) is a severe gastrointestinal complication that may develop in term neonates with critical congenital heart disease (congenital heart disease), despite the absence of prematurity.

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and identify clinical factors associated with necrotizing enterocolitis development in term neonates with critical congenital heart disease.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included term neonates (≥37 weeks' gestation) with critical congenital heart disease admitted to a tertiary pediatric cardiac intensive care unit between 1 January 2022, and 1 January 2026.

n = 18 infants

Results

infants with necrotizing enterocolitis faced far higher mortality than those without

AOR by subgroup · 95% CI

More results

Necrotizing enterocolitis developed in 18 infants (2.3%).

The median age at necrotizing enterocolitis diagnosis was 7 days (IQR 5-10), and four patients (22%) required surgical intervention.

More results

Seven necrotizing enterocolitis cases occurred preoperatively, whereas 11 developed after cardiac surgery; among postoperative cases, 64% occurred within the first 72 h after surgery.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Necrotizing enterocolitis remains an important complication associated with substantial mortality in term neonates with critical congenital heart disease, despite its relatively low incidence.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Early-term birth, low birth weight, functional single-ventricle physiology, and dependence on mechanical ventilation were independently associated with increased necrotizing enterocolitis risk in this vulnerable population.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Term Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Associated Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Term Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Associated Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

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