What causes perforation of the intestines?

Q: My one year old son underwent a surgery six days after his birth. The doctor has found that his large intestine was perforated 4-5 places. After giving him full dose of Gardenal, he stopped motion. No HD and NEC disease was found in report. Now, the doctor is saying that it may be due to infection. What causes perforation of the intestine?

A:Spontaneous perforation of the intestines are known to occur in newborn babies. Some of the common causes such as NEC and HIrschsprung's disease already have been excluded in your case. There are a significant number for which a well defined cause cannot be identified. These perforations are more common in premature babies, babies that are being ventilated or have generalized infection. Fortunately, if they recover from the initial episode, there are usually no long term worries.