# Necrotising enterocolitis

Condition · id `maternal:necrotising-enterocolitis` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `c7fb95f1d15a7d13` (public)

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Also called: NEC

Browse, life stage: Newborn  
Browse, care area: Preterm and sick newborns  

## In plain language

A serious bowel illness of newborn babies, most often seen in premature babies. The tissue lining the intestine becomes inflamed, dies and can slough off. The topic page used here describes it as the most common serious gastrointestinal disease of newborns and as a medical and surgical emergency. Preterm and low birth weight babies have a higher risk. Treatment depends on severity and can include feeding through a tube, antibiotics and emergency surgery.

## Technical summary

Condition page, from a US federal NEC topic page (public domain; last reviewed 12/16/2021), which says the cause is not well known. A 2011 journal review titled Necrotizing enterocolitis has no abstract in PubMed, so it is listed by title only and its content was not read. A US registry paper on extremely preterm infants lists severe necrotizing enterocolitis among the major morbidities it counted. No incidence or mortality figure is recorded.

## Connected pages

- Mostly seen in babies born early (existing page): Preterm birth (`maternal:preterm-birth`)
- Filed under this front: Newborn support: warmth, breathing, feeding (`maternal:front-newborn-support`)
- Related to: Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) (`maternal:roadmap-every-newborn-action-plan`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 923af78b36db1b159e3728a772097c55daf11b782b89feb110e70ae487eea9f5
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-15
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-15