Congress Backs May 17th NEC Awareness Day: Highlighting $5 Billion Annual Cost of Infant Disease

This resolution is straightforward: it expresses support for designating May 17, 2025, as “Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day.” While a resolution might sound like a purely symbolic gesture, the text backing it up lays out some seriously heavy facts about a devastating, often fatal, gut disease that hits premature babies.

The $5 Billion Problem: What NEC Actually Costs

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is the number one killer for preemies who spend more than two weeks in the hospital. The resolution makes it clear this isn’t just a medical tragedy—it’s a massive financial drain. The estimated annual hospital cost related to NEC in the U.S. is roughly $5,000,000,000. To put that in perspective, a single surgical case can run $200,000 or more. If you’re paying into the healthcare system, this condition accounts for about 19 percent of all neonatal care spending, which means fighting this illness is a huge part of what drives healthcare costs for families and insurers.

The Best Defense is Breast Milk

The resolution emphasizes that we already know some of the best ways to fight NEC: human milk. For fragile infants, breast milk is a critical defense, and if the mother’s own milk isn't available, pasteurized donor human milk is the next safest option. This is a crucial point for parents navigating the NICU, highlighting that standard formula doesn't offer the same protection. By backing this awareness day, Congress is implicitly supporting practices that prioritize human milk access for at-risk infants.

Addressing Disparities and Data Gaps

Beyond the medical and financial toll, the resolution calls attention to critical health disparities. It specifically notes that Black infants suffer and die from NEC at higher rates than White infants. This acknowledgment means the awareness effort isn't just about general education; it’s also about pushing for equity in care and outcomes. Furthermore, the resolution stresses the need for more data to understand why NEC happens in both premature and full-term babies, signaling that the fight against this disease requires better research and better data collection from healthcare providers nationwide.

The Real-World Impact of an Awareness Day

While a resolution doesn't mandate new spending or change existing law, it serves as an official spotlight. For busy parents of preemies, this awareness can translate into better conversations with their care teams about preventative measures, particularly the critical role of human milk. For researchers and hospitals, it provides political momentum to prioritize funding and resources dedicated to NEC prevention and treatment. Ultimately, designating May 17th is Congress using its voice to shine a light on a devastating infant illness, pushing for better data, better prevention, and more equitable outcomes.