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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs called H2 blockers, commonly given to premature infants to treat acid reflux, may increase their risk for a potentially fatal bowel infection called necrotizing enterocolitis, new research suggests.
"This study strongly suggests that the common practice of prescribing H2 blockers to prevent or treat acid reflux in premature infants be discontinued, until more evidence on the safety of this practice becomes available," Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in a prepared statement.
H2 blockers -- which include over-the-counter products such as Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac -- inhibit the production of stomach acid.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Neonatal Research Network, part of the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Necrotizing enterocolitis affects about 5 percent to 10 percent of extremely premature babies. With this disease, tissue lining the wall of the intestines dies and any surviving tissue becomes swollen and inflamed. The digestive tract becomes unable to digest or transport food.
In some cases, portions of the intestine have to be removed, but sometimes the damage is so severe the infant dies. Experts still don't know the exact causes of necrotizing enterocolitis.
The NICHD study found that premature infants who received H2 blockers had a 71 percent higher risk of developing the condition than infants who hadn't been given the drugs.
The researchers stressed that they weren't able to determine if H2 blockers actually cause necrotizing enterocolitis. Instead, it could be that infants likely to develop the condition may also have symptoms that require treatment with H2 blockers. However, they advised caution in the use of H2 blockers in premature infants.
The findings appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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