PRINTER'S NO. 319
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
19
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY BREWSTER, BAKER, HAYWOOD, GREENLEAF, WOZNIAK,
VULAKOVICH, FONTANA, TEPLITZ, HUTCHINSON, ALLOWAY, SCHWANK,
HUGHES, COSTA, PILEGGI, KITCHEN, BROWNE, DINNIMAN, BLAKE,
SMITH AND RAFFERTY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 4, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating February 7 through 14, 2015, as "Congenital Heart
Defect Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is an annual
awareness effort to help educate the public about congenital
heart defects; and
WHEREAS, Congenital heart defects are the most common birth
defect, annually affecting approximately one in every 125 babies
in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Designating Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
in this Commonwealth promotes greater public awareness about
these defects; and
WHEREAS, Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of
birth defect-related deaths worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Congenital heart defects kill twice as many children
as childhood cancer; and
WHEREAS, Newborn screening for congenital heart defects
involves a simple test called pulse oximetry; and
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WHEREAS, Pulse oximetry screening is the most effective way
to detect critical congenital heart defects; and
WHEREAS, Each year, about 1,200 additional newborns with a
critical congenital heart defect could be identified using pulse
oximetry newborn screening; and
WHEREAS, Babies with a critical congenital heart defect need
surgery or other procedures in the first year of life; and
WHEREAS, The costs of critical congenital heart defect
screening is about $5 to $14 for each newborn baby screened; and
WHEREAS, There is a need for awareness and funding for
congenital heart defects; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the week of February 7
through 14, 2015, as "Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week" in
Pennsylvania.
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