PRINTER'S NO. 1356
No. 121 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY PICCOLA, BRIGHTBILL, KUKOVICH, BOSCOLA, THOMPSON,
MUSTO, MURPHY, EARLL, WENGER, COSTA, WAGNER, ROBBINS,
D. WHITE, DENT, O'PAKE, MELLOW, TARTAGLIONE AND SCHWARTZ,
OCTOBER 1, 2001
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 1, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating October 2001 as "Rett Syndrome Awareness Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder that occurs
4 almost exclusively in girls in approximately one in every 10,000
5 births; and
6 WHEREAS, A child with Rett syndrome has an early period of
7 apparently normal development until six to 18 months of age and
8 then loses or never develops verbal communication skills and
9 purposeful use of hands, may have difficulty walking, breathing
10 and eating and may suffer seizures; and
11 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is a fairly new disorder which was
12 first noted in Europe in the 1960's and discovered in the United
13 States in 1983; and
14 WHEREAS, In 1999, the cause of Rett syndrome was identified
15 as a defect in the MECP gene on the X chromosome; and
16 WHEREAS, There are medical doctors who have little or no
17 knowledge of this disorder; and
1 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is undiagnosed or most often
2 misdiagnosed as autism, cerebral palsy or nonspecific
3 developmental delay, thus preventing many families from
4 utilizing disability assistance programs; and
5 WHEREAS, With accurate diagnosis of Rett syndrome, the impact
6 can be lessened by therapies designed to improve communication
7 skills and slow the progression of motor disturbances; therefore
8 be it
9 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2001
10 as "Rett Syndrome Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
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