NEC Awareness Day
Raising Awareness
Columbia, South Carolina – Rep. Nathan Ballentine has introduced a state resolution recognizing May 17, 2025, as “Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Day” in South Carolina.
Necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, is the most common cause of death in hospitalized premature infants after two weeks of age. NEC causes a severe inflammatory process that can lead to intestinal tissue damage and death, and once NEC is diagnosed, many babies only live for a few hours or days.
Thousands of babies develop NEC each year, and hundreds of babies die from this complex intestinal disease. Babies born prematurely or with a medical complication, like congenital heart disease, are most at risk of NEC, and babies who survive NEC often have lifelong neurological and nutritional complications.
The risk of NEC cannot be fully eliminated, and there are not yet sure ways to stop or cure NEC. There is an urgent need to increase research, education, and advocacy surrounding NEC.
“We hope this resolution can help bring awareness to the Palmetto State. We know the impact NEC can have on families and hope it can bring more awareness and research to NEC. We never imagined NEC would be part of our NICU journey and have experienced the challenges it brings to families. We hope Zack’s story can bring hope to families currently experiencing the realities of NEC. While it may be a small step, we know small steps lead to big things,” shared Sara Reinhardt, mother of Zack.
Joe and Sara Reinhardt led the initiative to introduce NEC Awareness Day to the state. Their son Zack was born in 2023 at 33 weeks gestation and developed NEC after his first week of life. He endured multiple surgeries and spent months in the neonatal intensive care unit. Today, Zack is thankfully home and doing well, though the disease continues to affect his family’s life, with continued follow-up surgeries and nutritional challenges.
“South Carolina NICUs take care of infants impacted by NEC every month – it is not a rare occurrence. There is an urgent need for increased research, prevention, and treatment options for our babies. Community awareness is key to supporting our patients’ families, and we actively participate in research as part of the NEC Biorepository. This resolution highlights the fight against NEC in our state and nationwide,” stated Katherine Chetta, MD, a neonatologist at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in Charleston, SC.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) became the eighth research center enrolled in the NEC biorepository in 2023. In partnership with the NEC Society, the biorepository supports research projects to improve the understanding of NEC and focuses on research topics that matter most to patient families.
The NEC Society is grateful to Rep. Ballentine for introducing the NEC Awareness Day Resolution to the state of South Carolina. Rep. Ballentine states, “I am honored to introduce South Carolina’s NEC Awareness Resolution. I am committed to raising awareness about this devastating neonatal disease because too many infants in our state continue to be diagnosed with NEC. There is an urgent need to protect South Carolina’s babies and families from NEC, and I am eager to help in any way I can.”
South Carolina joins California, Utah, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, and Louisiana in recognizing NEC Awareness Day. The NEC Awareness Day Resolution has also been introduced in Congress by Representatives Mike Thompson and Kevin Kiley.
Read the bill text here.
