If you are at risk of premature birth, you may consider getting corticosteroid injections while pregnant to lower your baby’s risks of gastrointestinal problems, including NEC.
After birth, breastfeeding is one of the best ways to prevent NEC. However, the mother may not be able to breastfeed her child for various reasons. Perhaps the child is too young or weak to suckle, or the mother has health issues that prevent nursing. In these cases, NEC is unfortunately common.