PRINTER'S NO. 1764
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
324
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, CALTAGIRONE, KORTZ, BIZZARRO, RYAN,
PICKETT, MILLARD, BURNS, LONGIETTI, DiGIROLAMO, ROEBUCK,
JAMES, SONNEY, SCHLOSSBERG, MARSHALL, BERNSTINE, YOUNGBLOOD,
HILL-EVANS, BROWN, PASHINSKI, OBERLANDER, RAPP, SCHLEGEL
CULVER, B. MILLER, READSHAW, MACKENZIE, SCHWEYER, SAINATO,
MULLINS, McCLINTON, FREEMAN, NEILSON, HOWARD AND DEASY,
MAY 8, 2019
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 8, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2019 as "Healthy Babies Month" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes educates women of childbearing
age and their partners about the importance of before, during
and after pregnancy care, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to
enhance positive birth outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Women of childbearing age should take steps before
and during pregnancy to improve birth outcomes, including
adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes moderate exercise and
a balanced diet and avoiding exposure to smoking, alcohol,
illegal drugs and certain medications that may harm a developing
fetus; and
WHEREAS, Consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid daily for
three months prior to and during the early weeks of conception
may prevent up to 70% of neural tube defects, including birth
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defects of the brain and spinal cord; and
WHEREAS, Though 84% of women 18 to 45 years of age who were
surveyed had heard of folic acid, only 19% knew to take folic
acid before pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, Substance use during pregnancy, including smoking,
alcohol and illicit drugs, is a risk factor for adverse birth
outcomes, such as birth defects, developmental disabilities,
preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, in 2017, 22.5% of women 18 to 44
years of age reported binge drinking in the past month, compared
to 18.5% of women overall in the United States; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, in 2017, 19.7% of women 18 to 44
years of age reported smoking, compared to 15.5% of women
overall in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Pre and post pregnancy care is the first line of
defense for protecting pregnant women and their infants; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, in 2015, 6.6% of infants, or
approximately 1 in 15, were born to women receiving no prenatal
care or late prenatal care beginning in the seventh to ninth
month of pregnancy; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2019 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge parents and
prospective parents to contact the March of Dimes and allied
health care organizations for literature on how to prepare
themselves before conception and during pregnancy.
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