THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, COSTA, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, BAKER, BLAKE, BOSCOLA, BREWSTER, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, CORMAN, DINNIMAN, EARLL, EICHELBERGER, ERICKSON, FARNESE, FERLO, FOLMER, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LEACH, McILHINNEY, MENSCH, PICCOLA, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, SCARNATI, SCHWANK, SMUCKER, SOLOBAY, STACK, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, VANCE, VOGEL, VULAKOVICH, WARD, WASHINGTON, WAUGH, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, WILLIAMS, WOZNIAK, YAW AND YUDICHAK, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of September 2012 as "Infant Mortality

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

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

before reaching his or her first birthday, is especially

prevalent in communities with large minority populations, high

rates of unemployment, poverty and limited access to safe

housing and medical providers; and

WHEREAS, Infant mortality is recognized as an indicator of

the nation's health and health disparities in the population;

and

WHEREAS, Infant mortality is a significant and troubling

public health issue for which studies have shown that the cost

of care for low birth weight babies, a major risk factor

associated with infant death, has an estimated annual economic

impact of $26.2 billion; and

WHEREAS, The United States infant mortality rate ranks 49th

in the world according to the 2012 CIA World Factbook report;

and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks 17th in infant deaths, with an

infant mortality rate of 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births

according to the United States Census Bureau; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, the infant mortality rate in Pennsylvania

among African Americans was 14.4 deaths per 1,000 live births as

compared to 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births for non-Hispanic

Caucasians; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, the Allegheny County infant mortality rate

for non-Hispanic African Americans was 15.1 deaths per 1,000

live births, approximately 3.5 times greater than the infant

mortality rate of 4.2 deaths in non-Hispanic Caucasians; and

WHEREAS, In 1991, the high overall infant mortality rate in

the City of Pittsburgh allowed for the designation of one of the

original 15 Healthy Start, Inc., projects to be placed within

the county by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health

Resources and Services Administration, United States Department

of Health and Human Services; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is home to 7 of the 105 Healthy Start,

Inc., projects, which collectively have increased early entry

first trimester prenatal care from 41.8% to 70% in this

Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Since the 1991 implementation of the Healthy Start,

Inc., Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Project, the infant mortality

rate for all races has been reduced by almost 30%, including

African-American families; and

WHEREAS, Healthy Start, Inc.'s Pittsburgh/Allegheny and

Fayette County Projects have successfully increased the rate of

a pregnant woman's participation in early prenatal care during

her first trimester to 89.1% and 92.7%, respectively, directly

saving the lives of many vulnerable infants; and

WHEREAS, Nine out of ten children born to parents receiving

services from Healthy Start, Inc., in Allegheny and Fayette

counties are born full term, at normal weight and without the

incidence of birth defects; and

WHEREAS, Organizations such as Healthy Start, Inc., which is

a federally funded community-based organization that implements

case management, home visitation and health education and has an

active community coalition, have contributed significantly to

decreasing the high rates of infant mortality both locally and

nationally; 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, The recognition and observance of "Infant Mortality

Awareness Month" by groups such as Healthy Start, Inc., will

increase national awareness of infant mortality, promote

awareness of the contributing factors of infant mortality and

encourage education in local communities about preventable

negative birth outcomes; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of September

2012 as "Infant Mortality Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and

commend organizations such as Healthy Start, Inc., for their

important role in addressing this public health issue.