Nutritional and Surgical Management of Short Bowel Syndrome in Neonates.

To evaluate the natural course and outcome of short bowel in neonates and to assess the impact of re ceiving early continuous e nteral nu trition in the postoperative period. T he data of 1 7 newborn infants operated f or short bowel syndrome were retrospectively analyzed. The operative procedures, the residual bowel length, duration taken to be independent of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), septic attacks, and final outcome we re a ssessed. The birth w eight of the studied i nfants ranged between 900-3500 gm (mean 2300 gm), GA ranged between 28-40 weeks (mean 35 wks).The causes of short bowel syndrome were necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in 7 cases, multiple atresia in 5 cases, volvulus in 3 cases and gastroschisis in 2 cases. The range of residual small bowel length af ter s urgery was 23-80 cm (mean 49.8cm ). The studied infants needed 3-24 months (mean 7 .4 months ) t o be TPN independent. They had 1-8 septic attacks (mean3 attacks) during that period. Four cases died, t he s urviving infants were t aking normal diet for th eir a ge. Early continuous enteral nutrition has a great beneficial effect on intestinal adaptation and immunity barrier. It is the best way to w ean short bowel syndrome patients from pa renteral nutrition