Epidemiology of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Multi-Birth Preterm Infants: A 22-Year Retrospective Study in Switzerland (2000-2021)

The authors aimed to evaluate the incidence and mortality of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm multiple-birth infants in Switzerland over a 22-year period and to determine if multiple births contribute to NEC risk. They found that the overall NEC incidence was similar between multiple births and singletons, with no significant difference in mortality rates; however, if one twin developed NEC, the odds of the co-twin also developing the condition increased sixfold. This suggests that while multiple gestation itself is not a risk factor for NEC, there may be shared environmental or biological factors influencing the condition among twins.