PRINTER'S NO. 1482
No. 261 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY WATSON, ADOLPH, ARGALL, BAKER, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER, BIANCUCCI, BISHOP, BOYD, BROOKS, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER, CONKLIN, COX, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DePASQUALE, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HARHART, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, M. KELLER, KENNEY, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, KULA, LEACH, MACKERETH, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, MELIO, METCALFE, MILLARD, MILNE, MOYER, MUNDY, MURT, MYERS, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PETRI, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STERN, SURRA, TANGRETTI, R. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRUE, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WANSACZ, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, MAY 4, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 4, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing the month May 2007 as "Healthy Babies Month" in 2 Pennsylvania and urging prospective parents to be informed 3 about prenatal care. 4 WHEREAS, The March of Dimes is declaring May 2007 to be 5 "Healthy Babies Month" in order to educate men and women of 6 childbearing age about the importance of preconception and 7 prenatal care, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in order to 8 enhance positive birth outcomes; and 9 WHEREAS, According to the most recently released data of the 10 National Center for Health Statistics, 16,928 babies were born 11 prematurely in this Commonwealth, accounting for more than 11.8%
1 of live births in 2004; and 2 WHEREAS, The rate of premature births in this Commonwealth 3 has increased more than 10% in the last decade; and 4 WHEREAS, The rate of preterm birth, by race, is highest among 5 African Americans (17%), Native Americans (14.2%), Hispanics 6 (13%), whites (10.5%) and Asians (9.2%); and 7 WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, premature birth with 8 accompanying low birthweight is the second leading cause of 9 infant death (death in the first year of life) and the leading 10 cause of newborn death (death in the first month of life); and 11 WHEREAS, Prematurity is the number one obstetric problem in 12 our nation, with 1 in 8 babies, including 1 in 6 African- 13 American babies, born prematurely; and 14 WHEREAS, Prematurity is a major medical challenge in 15 obstetrics and pediatrics and a significant determinant of 16 morbidity and mortality in infancy and throughout the lifetime 17 of preterm babies; and 18 WHEREAS, A recent national survey conducted by the March of 19 Dimes found that only 37% of respondents identified prematurity 20 as "very serious" or "extremely serious"; and 21 WHEREAS, Pregnant women can benefit from new knowledge, 22 skills and technology and seek diagnosis and treatment for high- 23 risk medical conditions; and 24 WHEREAS, Early, regular preconception and prenatal care is a 25 pregnant woman's first line of defense for protecting her baby; 26 and 27 WHEREAS, Recommendations for a healthy pregnancy include 28 prevention of infections such as rubella, not using prescription 29 or over-the-counter medications without approval of a doctor and 30 avoiding tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances; therefore be 20070H0261R1482 - 2 -
1 it 2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the 3 month of May 2007 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania; and 4 be it further 5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge prospective 6 parents to contact the March of Dimes and allied health care 7 organizations for literature on how to prepare themselves before 8 conception and during pregnancy. D24L82JAM/20070H0261R1482 - 3 -