Preventive strategies and factors associated with surgically treated necrotising enterocolitis in extremely preterm infants: an international unit survey linked with retrospective cohort data analysis

ObjectivesTo compare necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) prevention practices and NEC associated factors between units from eight countries of the International Network for Evaluation of Outcomes of Neonates, and to assess their association with surgical NEC rates.DesignProspective unit-level survey combined with retrospective cohort study.SettingNeonatal intensive care units in Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Israel, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Tuscany (Italy).PatientsExtremely preterm infants born between 240to 286weeks’ gestation, with birth weights<1500 g, and admitted between 2014–2015.ExposuresNEC prevention practices (probiotics, feeding, donor milk) using responses of an o…