Pathophysiology
The pathogenesis of NEC has not been clearly elucidated.
However, immaturity of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
regarding motility, digestive function, circulatory regulation,
barrier function, and immune defense, are the
most important underlying risk factors. The widely
accepted hypothesis at present is that enteral feeding
(providing substrate), in the presence of immature intestinal
and colonization with pathogens, provokes an
inappropriately accentuated inflammatory response by
the immature intestinal epithelial cells of preterm
neonates.