PRINTER'S NO. 2483
No. 403 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, RAFFERTY, C. WILLIAMS, PUNT, ERICKSON,
FERLO, STOUT, KITCHEN, PIPPY, FONTANA, A. WILLIAMS, DINNIMAN,
BOSCOLA, TARTAGLIONE, LOGAN, WONDERLING, KASUNIC, PILEGGI,
STACK, O'PAKE, M. WHITE, GREENLEAF, WASHINGTON AND LAVALLE,
OCTOBER 6, 2008
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 6, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating November 12, 2008, as "Prematurity Awareness Day" in
2 Pennsylvania and encouraging efforts to fund research and
3 programs to find causes of prematurity.
4 WHEREAS, Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns
5 in the United States; and
6 WHEREAS, Nearly half a million babies are born prematurely
7 every year, including more than 16,000 in Pennsylvania, and the
8 number is rising; and
9 WHEREAS, According to the March of Dimes, in 2005 the annual
10 societal economic cost associated with preterm birth in the
11 United States was at least $26.2 billion; and
12 WHEREAS, Most people are unaware of this common, serious and
13 costly problem or the enormous emotional toll on families; and
14 WHEREAS, The March of Dimes is leading a national effort to
15 save babies from premature birth by funding research to find the
16 causes and by supporting local programs offering hope and help
17 to families with a baby in intensive care; therefore be it
1 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate November 12, 2008, as
2 "Prematurity Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania and encourage
3 efforts to fund research and programs to find causes of
4 prematurity.
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