Neonatal peritonitis (Q45920)

Neonatal peritonitis may be bacterial or chemical in origin. The majority of cases of bacterial peritonitis are due to intestinal perforations, ruptured omphaloceles, or ischemic intestinal necrosis. Although most babies had peritonitis secondary to intestinal perforation subsequent to intestinal obstruction, many instances are unexplained perforation, possibly secondary to defects in the intestinal musculature or visceral ischemia. The less common chemical peritonitis is due to prenatal intestinal perforation with extrusion of sterile meconium into the peritoneal cavity. The two types may coexist if an antenatal perforation remains open after birth, allowing bacterial contamination of the previously sterile peritoneum.