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PRINTER'S NO. 2189
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
479
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, BISHOP, COHEN, V. BROWN,
DiGIROLAMO, ROZZI, KINSEY, WARD, MILLARD, HENNESSEY, VEREB,
SCHLOSSBERG, FREEMAN, KILLION, LONGIETTI, DRISCOLL, MURT,
CALTAGIRONE, KIRKLAND, McNEILL, O'BRIEN, D. COSTA, WATSON,
BOYLE, EVERETT, THOMAS, MARSICO, BIZZARRO, PAYNE, SCHWEYER,
NEILSON, MAHONEY, MAJOR, GINGRICH AND ROSS,
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of September 2015 as "Newborn Screening
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Newborn screening is the practice of screening every
baby born prior to hospital discharge for certain harmful or
potentially fatal conditions that are not otherwise apparent at
birth; and
WHEREAS, Early detection of these conditions in newborns
facilitates timely interventions that result in significant
decreases in morbidity, mortality and disability; and
WHEREAS, Newborn screening is a comprehensive system that
includes testing, diagnosis, follow-up, treatment, education and
evaluation; and
WHEREAS, Every year more than 4 million newborns in the
United States and more than 140,000 newborns in this
Commonwealth undergo newborn screening; and
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WHEREAS, Newborn screening was recently named in the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's publication entitled, "Ten
Great Public Health Achievements in the 20th Century"; and
WHEREAS, Newborn screening began in 1963 in the United States
with testing for phenylketonuria (PKU); and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania began newborn screening with the
Newborn Child Testing Act in 1965 which required physicians,
hospitals and other institutions to administer or cause to be
administered tests for PKU and other metabolic diseases upon
infants in certain cases; and
WHEREAS, Since first enacted in 1965, the act has been
amended three times, most recently with Act 148 of 2014, which
expanded the list of required diseases for testing from 6 to 12;
and
WHEREAS, In addition to the required testing, Pennsylvania
provides newborn hearing screening, pulse oximetry testing for
critical congenital heart disease and follow-up screening and
services for other diseases; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's Newborn Screening and Follow-up
Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of
Health; and
WHEREAS, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the
Commonwealth's newborn screening program; and
WHEREAS, "Newborn Screening Awareness Month" was started in
2000 by the Save Babies Through Screening Foundation, along with
several partner organizations to shine a national spotlight on
newborn screening and its detectable diseases; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of September 2015 as "Newborn Screening Awareness Month"
in Pennsylvania; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Commonwealth officially recognize the
importance of awareness and encourage parents and future parents
to educate themselves on newborn screening and take the
necessary steps to ensure the health of their children.
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