16S rRNA gene sequencing of the stool samples from NEC and preterm healthy infants

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a catastrophic inflammatory disease of the newborn bowel, primarily affecting premature infants. While the exact mechanisms of disease associated with NEC are not fully understood, early intestinal colonization has been implicated as a contributor to its pathogenesis. The objective of this prospective case-control study was to evaluate differences in the intestinal microbiota between infants who developed NEC and their unaffected controls at several time points prior to disease onset.