Current Understanding of Transfusion-associated Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Review of Clinical and Experimental Studies and a Call for More Definitive Evidence.

This review summarizes current human and experimental data, highlights open questions, and suggests avenues for further research aimed at preventing ta-NEC in preterm infants. Further studies are required to delineate whether there is a tipping point, in terms of the level and duration of anemia, and to develop an effective strategy for blood management and the quality of RBC transfusions.