PRINTER'S NO. 1418
No. 177 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, FERLO, ORIE, PILEGGI, REGOLA, STOUT,
TARTAGLIONE, D. WHITE, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, LAVALLE,
MUSTO, O'PAKE, WASHINGTON, STACK, PICCOLA AND COSTA,
SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing September 2007 as "Infant Mortality Awareness Month"
2 in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Infant mortality, referring to the death of a baby
4 before it reaches its first birthday, is especially prevalent in
5 communities with large minority populations, high rates of
6 unemployment and poverty and limited access to safe housing and
7 medical providers; and
8 WHEREAS, The United States ranks 28th among industrialized
9 nations in the rate of infant mortality; and
10 WHEREAS, In 2002, infant mortality increased for the first
11 time in more than four decades, reaching seven deaths per 1,000
12 live births; and
13 WHEREAS, A Child Health USA 2006 study conducted by the
14 United States Department of Health and Human Services noted that
15 the infant mortality rate declined from the 1960s into this
16 century, but increased slightly between 2001 and 2002. In 2004,
17 27,936 infants died before their first birthday, representing an
1 infant mortality rate of 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births; and
2 WHEREAS, Infant mortality is a significant and troubling
3 public health issue for which studies have shown that the cost
4 of care for low birth weight babies has an estimated annual
5 economic impact of $13 billion; and
6 WHEREAS, While intensive neonatal care is an effective means
7 to address this issue, awareness of a pregnant woman's need to
8 participate in early prenatal care has a bigger impact on the
9 issue; and
10 WHEREAS, Groups across the nation are holding special events
11 like baby parades, Bowling for Babies fundraisers, neighborhood
12 health fairs, open houses, poster contests, un-birthday parties,
13 clothesline projects, memorial gardens and other initiatives to
14 raise awareness of infant mortality and prevention; and
15 WHEREAS, Organizations such as Healthy Start, a federally
16 funded program utilizing a strong, community-based coalition,
17 are having a dramatic impact on decreasing the high rates of
18 infant mortality, and Pennsylvania is home to six of the 100
19 Healthy Start projects nationwide; and
20 WHEREAS, Since 1998, Healthy Start projects across the
21 country have successfully increased the rate of a pregnant
22 women's participation in early prenatal care during her first
23 trimester from 41.8% to over 70%, directly saving the lives of
24 many vulnerable infants; and
25 WHEREAS, The observance of "Infant Mortality Awareness Month"
26 by groups such as Healthy Start will increase national awareness
27 of infant mortality and its contributing factors, and it will
28 also allow for the facilitation of activities that will help
29 local communities address this issue; therefore be it
30 RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize September 2007 as "Infant
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1 Mortality Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and commend
2 organizations such as Healthy Start for their important role in
3 addressing this public health issue.
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