Bill Text: PA HR279 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing the month of May 2009 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania and urging prospective parents to be informed about prenatal care.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 50-28)

Status: (Passed) 2009-04-29 - Adopted [HR279 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HR279-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1691
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 279 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY WATSON, QUINN, HENNESSEY, REED, REICHLEY, MICOZZIE, ADOLPH, BAKER, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER, BOYD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, CONKLIN, DALEY, DELOZIER, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, EVERETT, FLECK, GEIST, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HELM, HESS, JOHNSON, KILLION, KULA, MAJOR, MANN, MARSICO, McCALL, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MENSCH, MILLARD, MOUL, MURT, MUSTIO, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PICKETT, PYLE, READSHAW, ROSS, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STERN, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TRUE, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER AND WATERS, APRIL 28, 2009
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, APRIL 28, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of May 2009 as "Healthy Babies Month" in
Pennsylvania and urging prospective parents to be informed
about prenatal care.
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes is declaring May 2009 to be
"Healthy Babies Month" in order to educate men and women of
childbearing age about the importance of preconception and
prenatal care, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in order to
enhance positive birth outcomes; and
WHEREAS, According to the most recently released data of the
National Center for Health Statistics, in 2006, 17,559 babies
were born prematurely in this Commonwealth, accounting for more
than 11.8% of live births in 2004; and
WHEREAS, The rate of premature births in this Commonwealth
has increased more than 10% in the last decade; and
WHEREAS, The rate of preterm birth, by race, is highest among
African Americans (17%), Native Americans (14.7%), Hispanics
(13.2%), whites (10.8%) and Asians (9.6%); and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, premature birth with
accompanying low birthweight is the second leading cause of
infant death (death in the first year of life) and the leading
cause of newborn death (death in the first month of life); and
WHEREAS, Prematurity is the number one obstetric problem in
our nation, with 1 in 8 babies, including 1 in 6 African-
American babies, born prematurely; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, about 1 in 15 infants (6.6% of live births)
were born to women receiving late or no prenatal care in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Early, regular preconception and prenatal care is a
pregnant woman's first line of defense for protecting her baby;
and
WHEREAS, Recommendations for a healthy pregnancy include
prevention of infections such as rubella, not using prescription
or over-the-counter medications without approval of a doctor and
avoiding tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances; therefore be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of May 2009 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge 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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