PRINTER'S NO. 1474
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
283
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, MARTIN, J. WARD, MUTH, STREET, IOVINO,
FONTANA, COLLETT, COSTA, PHILLIPS-HILL, BROWNE, DINNIMAN,
BARTOLOTTA, MENSCH, BREWSTER AND BLAKE, JANUARY 27, 2020
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, JANUARY 27, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Designating January 23, 2020, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day"
in Pennsylvania to recognize all women who die from
complications of pregnancy or childbirth.
WHEREAS, Pregnancy-related death is defined by the number of
women who die during pregnancy, or within one year after
childbirth, from any cause that is related to or aggravated by
the pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, The number of pregnancy-related deaths in the United
States has continued to rise, despite recent advances in medical
science and technology; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) implemented a Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance
System to obtain information about the frequency and causes of
pregnancy-related death in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Despite declines in maternal deaths in other parts
of the world, the data collected under the Pregnancy Mortality
Surveillance System has shown a steady increase in the number of
reported pregnancy-related deaths in the United States from a
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low of 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 16.9 deaths
per 100,000 live births in 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System
indicates that the rate of pregnancy-related deaths varies by
race, ethnicity and age, with the highest mortality ratio being
evidenced among black women who suffered 42.4 deaths per every
100,000 live births; and
WHEREAS, The CDC recommends maternal deaths be investigated
through state-based reviews to identify the causes of pregnancy-
related deaths and recommend ways to decrease maternal deaths;
and
WHEREAS, The General Assembly approved, and the Governor
signed, Act 24 of 2018, known as the Maternal Mortality Review
Act, establishing the multidisciplinary Maternal Mortality
Review Committee as a first step to address the serious issue of
increasing maternal mortality across this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The committee is tasked with examining pregnancy-
related deaths, developing prevention recommendations and
increasing public and professional awareness of the incidence of
pregnancy-related deaths and strategies to prevent maternal
deaths in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, According to recent CDC data, approximately 700
women die annually in the United States from pregnancy-related
complications, with one-third of pregnancy-related deaths
occurring from one week up to a year after birth and
approximately three in five pregnancy-related deaths were
preventable; and
WHEREAS, The weeks following birth, known as the "fourth
trimester," are a critical period for a woman and her infant,
setting the stage for long-term health and well-being, and to
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optimize the health of women and infants, postpartum care should
become an ongoing process rather than a single encounter, with
services and support tailored to each woman's individual needs;
and
WHEREAS, There is a need to educate health care providers and
patients on the importance of attending postpartum visits and
leveraging postpartum care as a doorway to future health; and
WHEREAS, In order to improve public and professional
awareness of the issues related to maternal health and mortality
and promote the various promising initiatives that are being
undertaken to reduce maternal mortality from the beginning of
pregnancy and beyond, it is both reasonable and appropriate to
designate a day as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Community members and health care professionals are
invited to participate in appropriate activities relating to
maternal health, safety and mortality on "Maternal Health
Awareness Day"; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate January 23, 2020, as
"Maternal Health Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania to recognize all
women who die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
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