Pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) is most commonly caused by congenital or acquired conditions of the newborn. SBS is associated with an inability of the bowel to adequately absorb water and nutrients in sufficient quantities to meet caloric, fluid, and electrolyte demands, thus necessitating dependence on parenteral nutrition (PN). It is this dependence on PN, that is responsible for the majority of morbidity and mortality associated with SBS, including central venous catheter infections and PN-induced cholestatic liver dysfunction. There are very few estimates of SBS incidence and mortality in the literature. The epidemiology of SBS is reviewed and the limitations of the published literature are discussed.
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