H 4072

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