The purpose of this study was to determine those factors which could contribute to the development of necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC) in fullterm.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical record of 20 full-terms with NEC(≥modified Bell's staging criteria IIa) who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Il Sin Christian hospital from January 1998 through July 2005, and for each case, the next 2 healthy newborns were matched as controls.

Mean gestational age and birth weight in the fullterm with NEC group was 38.42 weeks and 2,915 g; in the healthy fullterm without NEC group, it was 38.61 weeks and 3,148 g. When compared with the control group, NEC infants had a significantly higher frequency of chorioamnionitis, protracted diarrhea. As for Apgar score at 1 min <7, respiratory problem, congenital heart disease. there were no differences in frequency of preeclampsia, maternal diabetes, maternal drug abuse, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, polycythemia or exchange transfusion.

Most of these full term infants have a predisposing factor before developing NEC. Our study suggested that NEC in fullterm infants was significantly associated with protracted diarrhea, and congenital heart disease.