PRINTER'S NO. 3667
No. 524 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY E. Z. TAYLOR, WATSON, BARD, PERZEL, ARMSTRONG,
GEIST, PIPPY, THOMAS, DONATUCCI, FORCIER, WOJNAROSKI, TIGUE,
WASHINGTON, CORRIGAN, NAILOR, MANDERINO, CRUZ, J. EVANS,
BELARDI, SAYLOR, DALEY, MUNDY, LESCOVITZ, SCHULER, BISHOP,
FLICK, FAIRCHILD, B. SMITH, HERMAN, McNAUGHTON, ROBINSON,
CALTAGIRONE, KELLER, ROSS, COY, STURLA, SOLOBAY, SURRA,
GABIG, COLAFELLA, READSHAW, FEESE, CREIGHTON, COLEMAN,
M. COHEN, SATHER, HUTCHINSON, BENNINGHOFF, S. MILLER,
SANTONI, GRUCELA, WILT, SHANER, MAJOR, SCHRODER, MELIO,
TRAVAGLIO, STABACK, ZUG, McCALL, JOSEPHS, BROOKS, LAUGHLIN,
HESS, FICHTER, STERN, PISTELLA, M. BAKER, RUBLEY, LEDERER,
DeWEESE, GEORGE, HERSHEY, McGEEHAN, BEBKO-JONES, PICKETT,
McILHATTAN, KENNEY, BASTIAN, YOUNGBLOOD, CURRY, BARRAR,
BELFANTI, BROWNE, FREEMAN, MARSICO, SEMMEL, SCRIMENTI,
HENNESSEY, CLARK, L. I. COHEN AND ADOLPH, APRIL 15, 2002
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 15, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of May 2002 as "Healthy Babies Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The March of Dimes has declared May 2002 to be
4 "Healthy Babies Month" in order to educate men and women of
5 childbearing age on the importance of preconception and prenatal
6 care, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in ensuring a positive
7 birth outcome; and
8 WHEREAS, The most recently published report on infant deaths
9 indicates that, of the 1,025 infant deaths reported in
10 Pennsylvania, 160 or 16% were due to birth defects; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1998 the March of Dimes successfully advocated
1 for the enactment of Federal legislation to establish research
2 and surveillance programs to prevent the tragic incidence of
3 birth defects, a critical step in reducing the impact of birth
4 defects on our nation's public health; and
5 WHEREAS, Although birth defects strike in a number of ways
6 and every family is vulnerable, much has been learned in recent
7 years about reducing the risks of known causes of physical and
8 mental damage during pregnancy; and
9 WHEREAS, Early, regular preconception and prenatal care is a
10 pregnant woman's first line of defense for protecting her baby;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, If problems arise and are detected early in
13 pregnancy, they are more likely to respond to treatment; and
14 WHEREAS, Today's women can benefit from new knowledge, skills
15 and technology to prepare for and monitor a healthy pregnancy
16 and diagnose and treat high-risk problems; and
17 WHEREAS, Birth defects surveillance and research has
18 determined that folic acid, a B vitamin, can reduce a woman's
19 risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as
20 spina bifida by up to 70% if taken before she becomes pregnant
21 and during the early weeks of her pregnancy; and
22 WHEREAS, Folic acid can be found in most multivitamin
23 supplements and certain foods such as fortified breakfast
24 cereals; and
25 WHEREAS, Folic acid may also decrease a woman's risks of
26 developing heart diseases, stroke, colon cancer and precancerous
27 lesions of the cervix; and
28 WHEREAS, Other recommendations for a healthy pregnancy
29 include preventing infections such as rubella, not using
30 prescription or over-the-counter medications without approval of
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1 a doctor, getting plenty of rest and exercise and avoiding
2 smoking, alcohol and illicit substances; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
4 month of May 2002 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania and
5 urge mothers and prospective mothers to contact the March of
6 Dimes and allied organizations for literature on how to prepare
7 themselves before conception and during pregnancy.
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