South Carolina H 4072: Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4072 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 25, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4072

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO DECLARE MAY 17, 
2025, AS NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS AWARENESS DAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO 
ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES REGARDING THIS 
DEVASTATING DISEASE AND TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AFFECTED BY IT.

Whereas, necrotizing 
enterocolitis (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. Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most common 
cause of death in hospitalized premature infants after two weeks of age. Babies 
born prematurely or with a medical complication, like congenital heart disease, 
are most at risk of NEC; and

Whereas, thousands of 
babies develop NEC each year and hundreds of babies die from this complex 
intestinal disease. Surgery for NEC is not curative, and the babies who survive 
often have lifelong neurological and nutritional complications; and

Whereas, necrotizing 
enterocolitis results in approximately $5,000,000,000 of hospitalization 
expenses per year and roughly nineteen percent of neonatal healthcare 
expenditures in the United States, with an estimated cost of $200,000 or more 
for each case of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis; and

Whereas, breast milk is 
one of the most effective ways to help prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in 
medically fragile infants, and when the mother's milk is unavailable, 
pasteurized donor human milk is the next safest option for babies at risk of 
NEC. Although the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis cannot be fully eliminated 
and there are not yet sure ways to stop or cure NEC, preventative measures are 
effective at reducing risks; and

Whereas, parents must 
be trusted and valued as the most important member of their baby's care team 
and healthcare providers should partner with families to provide the best care 
for infants at risk of NEC. Necrotizing enterocolitis can develop in both 
premature babies and babies born at term and more data is desperately needed to 
better understand how and why NEC occurs in preterm and term infants. Disparities 
and variation in care lead to Black infants being disproportionately affected 
by, and dying from, necrotizing enterocolitis compared to White infants; and

Whereas, the NEC 
Society is a nonprofit organization founded and led by a bereaved mother whose 
son died from complications of NEC and is the world's leading charity working 
to accelerate NEC research, education, and advocacy; and

Whereas, in support of 
a world without necrotizing enterocolitis and, meanwhile, a world with improved 
outcomes for the affected infants and families of today, the South Carolina 
House of Representatives is pleased to recognize May 17, 2025, as Necrotizing 
Enterocolitis Awareness Day in this great State. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, declare 
May 17, 2025, as Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day in South Carolina and 
encourage all citizens of South Carolina to educate themselves regarding this 
devastating disease and to support families affected by it.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be presented to the NEC Society.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 25, 2025 at 01:03 PM