Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) causes inflammation leading to intestinal tissue damage and tissue death. If the intestinal infection causes bowel perforation, the bacteria can pass into the baby’s bloodstream leading to even more severe complications.
NEC most often affects babies born prematurely or with a complication, such as a heart defect.
If premature infants are fed cow-based milk products, they can develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a serious gastrointestinal condition that mostly affects premature babies resulting in inflammation and death of intestinal tissue.