Necrotizing Enterocolitis Society

In 2024, the NEC Society presented at over 100 educational conferences, sessions, and webinars across the US and internationally, helping to inform patient-families, clinicians, and stakeholders about the urgent need to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as the risk and protective factors associated with the disease. At the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, the NEC Society presented a 7-hour post-graduate course highlighting the latest science and strategies to improve outcomes for NICU families and infants affected by NEC. The NEC Society also continued to expand our resource boxes for recently diagnosed and bereaved families so they have access to essential information they need to advocate for their child and navigate the trauma of experiencing NEC.

In 2024, the NEC Society held meetings with more than 30 elected officials across the US to help them understand the devastation of necrotizing enterocolitis and the urgent need to improve outcomes for NICU families and babies. The power of our patient-families personal stories motivated state legislators to pass NEC Awareness Day Resolutions declaring May 17th NEC Awareness Day to increase awareness about NEC outside of the neonatal intensive care unit. Given the power of our patient-family stories, to date, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, New Jersey, Georgia, and Utah have declared May 17th NEC Awareness Day. The NEC Society also helped to organize 40 community-based events across the US to raise awareness about the disease and provide evidence-based information to patient-families, clinicians, and community members.