Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains to be the most critical and frequent gastrointestinal disorder understood in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The presented study was intended to assess the prevalence of NEC and associated factors among enteral Fed preterm and low birth weight neonates. Institution based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 enteral Fed preterm and low birth weight neonates who were admitted at selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa from March 25/2020 to May 10/2020. The data were collected through neonates’ medical record chart review. A total of 350 participants were enrolled in to the study with the response rate of 99.43%. One hundred eighty-four (52.6%) of them were male. The majority 123 (35.1%) of them were (32 + 1 to 34) weeks gestational age. The prevalence of NEC was (25.4%) (n = 89, [95% CI; 21.1, 30.0]). Being ≤28 weeks gestational age (AOR = 3.94, 95% CI [2.67, 9.97]), being (28 + 1 to 32 weeks) gestational age (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI [2.21, 8.31]), birth weight of 1000 to 1499 g (AOR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.22, 4.33]), APGAR score ≤3 (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI [1.32, 4.16]), prolonged labor (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI [1.35, 6.38]), maternal chronic disease particularly hypertension (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI [1.70, 5.90]), chorioamnionitis (AOR = 4.8, 95% CI [3.9, 13]), failure to breath/resuscitated (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.7, 4.4]), CPAP ventilation (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI [1.50, 12.70]), mixed milk (AOR = 3.58, 95% CI [2.16, 9.32]) were factors significantly associated with NEC. Finally, the prevalence of NEC in the study area was high. So that, initiating the programs that could minimize this problem is required to avoid the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with NEC.

Background In early preterm and very low birth weight, breast milk expression is an optimal solution to continue with breastfeeding. This study aimed to assess the initiation of breast milk expression and associated factors among preterm and low birth weight mothers in the neonatal intensive care units of public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Methods Institution-based cross-sectional study was performed in selected public hospitals, Addis Ababa, among 124 breast feeding mothers chosen from different public health facilities of Addis Ababa; from April 5 to May 15, 2020. Information was collected using questionnaires administered by the interviewer, double data entry was performed using Epi Info version 4.6.02 software, cleaned finally exported to SPSS statistics version 26 for analysis. To predict the association of research variables, logistic regression models were used and adjusted for potential confounders. Results All respondents were started milk expression after six hours following delivery. Getting instruction on the method of their choice (AOR=0.55; CI=0.31 to 0.96) and gestational age ≤32 weeks (AOR=2.39; CI=1.34 to 4.24) were factors significantly associated with initiation of milk expression. Conclusion The study indicated breast milk expression was poor. Inter-departmental collaboration is required in order to promote good practice of breast milk expression among mothers of neonates with preterm and low birth weight.