video: The NEC Society, in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s and UNC Children’s, presents the NEC Symposium, the largest conference in the world dedicated to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a devastating intestinal disease that can affect premature and medically fragile infants in their first weeks and months of life. Every year in the United States, thousands of babies are diagnosed with NEC, and at least one baby dies from NEC every day. The NEC Symposium, September 7 – 10, 2025, will bring together hundreds of clinicians, scientists, and patient-families affected by NEC from across the U.S. and around the globe. Join us at NECsociety.org/NEC-symposium
Credit: NEC Society
Chicago, IL - The NEC Society, in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s and UNC Children’s, presents the NEC Symposium, the largest conference in the world dedicated to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a devastating intestinal disease that can affect premature and medically fragile infants in their first weeks and months of life. Every year in the United States, thousands of babies are diagnosed with NEC, and at least one baby tragically dies from NEC every day. The NEC Symposium, September 7 – 10, 2025, will bring together hundreds of clinicians, scientists, and patient-families affected by NEC from across the U.S. and around the globe.
The NEC Society was founded by Jennifer Canvasser (Davis, CA) after her son, Micah, tragically died from complications of the disease just before his first birthday. Jennifer has inspired families worldwide, including Springfield, IL parents, Stacey and Ryan Skrysak, whose son, Parker, tragically passed away from necrotizing enterocolitis. Stacey shares, “Our son lived for 55 days, a fighter since day one, being born more than 17 weeks premature. As first-time parents, we had never heard of NEC. But we soon learned it’s a cruel disease, one that develops both fast and furious. Parker died from complications following surgery. The lifelong grief of losing a child is indescribable and unfathomable. I am comforted knowing that sharing my son’s story at the NEC Symposium will help raise awareness and propel urgently needed support for more research and protective care, so we’ll someday live in a world where all babies are protected against NEC.”
The NEC Society is led by a collaborative team of renowned clinicians, scientists, and patient-families affected by NEC. The NEC Symposium’s impressive agenda offers three learning tracks and more than 70 faculty members from around the globe, including keynotes from Mark Del Monte, JD, the CEO/Executive Vice President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Nakela Cook, MD, MPH, Executive Director of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
The NEC Symposium will be held at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel. The conference will draw stakeholders from nearly all 50 US states as well as Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
The NEC Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and global leader dedicated to building a world without NEC. The NEC Society brings together diverse stakeholders to advance NEC research, education, and advocacy. You can learn more and register for the NEC Symposium at NECsociety.org/NEC-symposium