A handheld device using near-infrared light can detect necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants one to three days before standard methods, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.
NEC is a devastating bowel disease affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 newborns in the United States, with preterm infants at highest risk. Mortality rates range from 20% to 50%, and current detection relies primarily on X-rays and clinical signs, which often identify the condition only after significant tissue damage has occurred.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia developed a scanner using near-infrared spectroscopy to measure oxygen levels in gut tissue. The device shines light painlessly onto the infant’s abdomen, with sensors detecting how light interacts with the tissue beneath. Lower oxygen readings indicate compromised blood flow, an early warning sign of NEC.
The team tested the technology on 1,169 preterm infants across six Canadian neonatal intensive care units. Infants were scanned up to three times daily from admission until discharge, death, or development of NEC. Of the participants, 51 infants developed NEC.
The scanner achieved 79% sensitivity and 85% specificity, detecting NEC a median of 31 hours before clinical diagnosis. In some cases, abnormal readings appeared up to three days earlier. The researchers combined spectroscopy data with clinical information using machine learning algorithms to improve predictive accuracy.
Lead author Amir Abdi noted the device can be used in any neonatal unit and has received both CE marking in Europe and Health Canada approval. A larger validation trial is ongoing across Canadian hospitals, with regulatory submission to the US Food and Drug Administration expected later this year.
Source: Science News / University of British Columbia (Nature Medicine, 2026)
