Acute portal vein thrombosis presenting with recent thrombosis in a premature neonate is a distinct clinical situation that requires a different approach from the strategies applied in older children and adults.
The neonatal setting — and premature birth in particular — represents a critical exception to general paediatric management. The same strategies used in adults may apply in children, but premature babies constitute a separate population where those strategies are not directly transferable.
In this setting, the approach is conservative in nature, shaped by a specific safety concern that is unique to the premature neonate. The complete protocol details how this strategy is applied and what it entails in practice.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2025.08.001
The same management strategies used in adults may be applied in children except in the neonatal setting and in premature babies.
The preferred approach for premature babies is expectant management, to avoid the risk of intracranial bleeding.