PRINTER'S NO. 2717
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
341
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY DEASY, McANDREW, MERSKI, GIRAL AND KINSEY,
MARCH 18, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 18, 2024
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing May 17, 2024, as "Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common
cause of death in hospitalized premature infants after two weeks
of age; and
WHEREAS, Babies born prematurely or with a medical
complication, like congenital heart disease, are most at risk of
NEC; and
WHEREAS, Roughly 7% of premature babies develop NEC and, of
those, about 25% do not survive; and
WHEREAS, Cash Owen Finegan, a Pennsylvania premature baby,
son of Shannan and Cassius Finegan, lived for 68 brave days
before succumbing to NEC complications; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, Surgery for NEC is not curative, and the babies who
survive often have lifelong neurological and nutritional
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complications; and
WHEREAS, NEC results in approximately $5 billion in
hospitalization expenses per year; and
WHEREAS, Breast milk is one of the most effective ways to
help prevent NEC in medically fragile infants; and
WHEREAS, When the mother's milk is unavailable, pasteurized
donor human milk is the next-safest option for babies at risk of
NEC; and
WHEREAS, Although the risk of NEC 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, NEC can develop in both premature babies and babies
born at term, and more data is desperately needed to better
understand how and why it occurs at all; and
WHEREAS, Disparities and variation in care lead to Black
infants being disproportionately affected by, and dying from,
NEC 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, Working toward awareness and a cure is how this
devastating neonatal disease can be eradicated; and
WHEREAS, To build a world without NEC and improve outcomes
for infants and families, we must bring Pennsylvanians together
to raise awareness about this devastating neonatal disease;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize May 17,
2024, as "Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Day" in Pennsylvania
to help raise awareness of this devastating disease that has
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taken the lives of our littlest far too soon.
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