THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY WATERS, YOUNGBLOOD, BUXTON, DONATUCCI, CALTAGIRONE, BEYER, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, CLYMER, COHEN, D. COSTA, CUTLER, FLECK, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HELM, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MOUL, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, RAPP, READSHAW, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STERN, SWANGER, TALLMAN, VULAKOVICH, PARKER, MUNDY, DiGIROLAMO, HESS AND CONKLIN, JULY 14, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JULY 14, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of September 2009 as "Infant Mortality

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Infant mortality, referring to the death of a baby

before it reaches its first birthday, is especially prevalent in

communities with large minority populations, high rates of

unemployment and poverty and limited access to safe housing and

medical providers; and

WHEREAS, The United States ranks 29th among industrialized

nations in the rate of infant mortality; and

WHEREAS, Infant mortality increased in 2002 for the first

time in more than four decades, reaching seven deaths per 1,000

live births; and

WHEREAS, The infant mortality rate decreased slightly in 2006

to 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, but remains much higher

than the target rate of 4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births set by

Healthy People 2010; and

WHEREAS, Groups across the nation are holding special events

like baby parades, Bowling for Babies fundraisers, neighborhood

health fairs, open houses, poster contests, unbirthday parties,

clothesline projects, memorial gardens and other initiatives to

raise awareness of infant mortality and prevention; and

WHEREAS, Organizations such as Healthy Start, a federally

funded program utilizing a strong, community-based coalition,

are having a dramatic impact on decreasing the high rates of

infant mortality, and this Commonwealth is home to six of the

100 Healthy Start projects nationwide; and

WHEREAS, Since 1998, Healthy Start projects across the

country have successfully increased the rate of a pregnant

woman's participation in early prenatal care during her first

trimester from 41.8% to more than 70%, directly saving the lives

of many vulnerable infants; and

WHEREAS, The observance of "Infant Mortality Awareness Month"

by groups such as Healthy Start will increase national awareness

of infant mortality and its contributing factors, and it will

also allow for the facilitation of activities that will help

local communities address this issue; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

month of September 2009 as "Infant Mortality Awareness Month" in

Pennsylvania and commend organizations such as Healthy Start for

their important role in addressing this public health issue.