The latest publication dedicated to current knowledge of combating NEC

Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine invited guest editor Joseph Neu to compile a dedicated publication to the current state of evidence in NEC. The journal aims to give an overview of this disease to researchers and clinicians, focussing on risk reduction strategies and several areas where intensive research can lead to #zeroNEC soon.

It's important to understand the critical issue in NEC currently, in both the neonatal unit and research, is that it lacks a definition that can help identify NEC early on and assist in formulating insightful research. It's like travelling a country and you have no destination pinned. Not having a clear description of the destination can prolong the journey and if the trip is undertaken by different people, the recollection of it would be painful to gain insight as you struggle to seek common ground.

Indeed NEC research has been fortunate to have gained insights from diverse professionals fields ranging from biochemists, clinicians, radiologists to epidemiologists. And although this has been insightful to understand better how NEC happens, we should keep our sights on strategies that will reduce its burden on infants in the neonatal unit.

This publication also looks at the cost burden on NEC not just within the neonatal unit but beyond discharge highlighting its impacts on families. It's important to look at NEC beyond the neonatal unit to reduce it's life long impact though surgical and neuro-developmental strategies to empower families and the clinicians that follow-up on these infants development.

Hopefully, NEC can remain top of mind in the public and clinical setting that e can keep progressing towards #zeroNEC sooner rather than later.