Bill Text: PA SB577 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for education for parents relating to sudden infant death syndrome and sudden unexpected death of infants; establishing the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Education and Prevention Program; and providing for duties of the Department of Health.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-05 - Referred to PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE [SB577 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB577-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 606
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 577 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY PIPPY, ERICKSON, BAKER, BROWNE, LEACH, WONDERLING, TOMLINSON, WASHINGTON, BOSCOLA, COSTA, FERLO, LOGAN, BRUBAKER, FONTANA, O'PAKE AND RAFFERTY, MARCH 5, 2009
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 5, 2009
AN ACT
Providing for education for parents relating to sudden infant
death syndrome and sudden unexpected death of infants;
establishing the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Education and
Prevention Program; and providing for duties of the
Department of Health.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome Education and Prevention Program Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly hereby finds and declares as follows:
(1) The sudden, unexpected death of a newborn is the
third most common cause of death among newborns and is only
exceeded in the first year of life by congenital
malformations and prematurity.
(2) Most sudden infant deaths occur when a baby is
between two and four months old, and 90% of all sudden infant
deaths occur before six months of age.
(3) Most babies that die of sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS) or sudden unexpected death in infants (SUDI) appear to
be healthy prior to death.
(4) Sixty percent of SIDS victims are male and 40% are
female.
(5) While SIDS occurs in all socioeconomic, racial and
ethnic groups, African-American and Native-American babies
are two to three times more likely to die of SIDS than
Caucasian babies.
(6) In 1994, the American Academy of Pediatrics, in
conjunction with other major health organizations in the
United States, launched the national "Back to Sleep"
campaign, which endorsed and promoted the placement of
infants on their backs both for sleeping and napping.
(7) The incidence of sudden infant death in the United
States decreased by more than 50% since the inception of this
campaign.
(8) In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics
recognized that some infant deaths previously labeled as SIDS
were actually due to suffocation and issued new
recommendations that defined and promoted the use of a safe
sleeping environment for infants.
(9) Parents should learn risk factors associated with
SIDS and SUDI and share with others information on how to
create a safe sleeping environment for an infant to reduce
the risk of sudden and unexpected death.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
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"Acknowledgment statement." A form which may be voluntarily
signed by a parent, acknowledging that the parent has received,
read and has an understanding of the educational and
instructional materials provided on sudden infant death syndrome
and sudden unexpected death in infants.
"Birth center." A facility not part of a hospital which
provides maternity care to childbearing families not requiring
hospitalization. As used in this definition, the term "maternity
care" includes prenatal, labor, delivery and postpartum care
related to medically uncomplicated pregnancies.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Hospital." A for-profit or nonprofit hospital providing
clinically related health services for obstetrical and newborn
care, including those operated by the State, local government or
an agency. The term shall not include an office used primarily
for private or group practice by health care practitioners where
no reviewable clinically related health services are offered.
"Infant." A child 30 days of age or older and younger than
24 months of age.
"Midwife." An individual who is licensed as a midwife by the
State Board of Medicine.
"Newborn." A child 29 days of age or younger.
"Parent." A natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent,
legal guardian or legal custodian of a child.
"Program." The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Education and
Prevention Program.
"Sudden infant death syndrome" or "SIDS." The sudden,
unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant that remains
unexplained after the performance of a complete postmortem
investigation, including an autopsy, an examination of the scene
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of death and a review of the medical history.
"Sudden unexpected death in infants" or "SUDI." The sudden,
unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant.
Section 4. Establishment of program.
(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish a Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome Education and Prevention Program to
promote awareness and education relating to SIDS and SUDI with
the focus on the risk factors of SIDS and SUDI and safe sleeping
practices for newborns and infants.
(b) Public awareness.--The department shall design and
implement strategies for raising public awareness concerning
SIDS and SUDI, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Risk factors for sudden infant death, including
infant sleep position, exposure to smoke, overheating,
inappropriate infant bedding and bed sharing.
(2) Suggestions for reducing the risk of SIDS and SUDI.
Section 5. Materials.
(a) Educational and instructional materials.--The program
shall include the distribution of readily understandable
information and educational and instructional materials
regarding SIDS and SUDI. The materials shall explain the risk
factors associated with SIDS and SUDI and emphasize safe
sleeping practices. The materials shall be provided to parents
prior to discharge from a hospital or birth center or by a
midwife for births that take place in settings other than a
hospital or birth center.
(b) Acknowledgment statement.--The acknowledgment statement
shall be signed by a parent prior to discharge from a hospital
or birth center or after births performed by a midwife in
settings other than a hospital or birth center. One copy of the
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acknowledgment statement shall be given to a parent, and one
copy shall remain on file in the hospital or birth center.
Copies of acknowledgment statements signed by parents in
settings other than a hospital or birth center shall be kept on
file by the health care practitioner or midwife performing the
birth. The acknowledgment statement shall be set forth in a form
to be prescribed by the department.
(c) Distribution of materials.--The information and
educational and instructional materials described in subsection
(a) shall be provided without cost by each hospital, birth
center or midwife to a parent of each newborn upon discharge
from a hospital or birth center.
Section 6. Scope of act.
The department shall do the following:
(1) Work to improve the capacity of community-based
services available to parents regarding the risk factors
involved with SIDS and SUDI and safe sleeping practices for
newborns and infants.
(2) Work with other State and local governmental
agencies, community and business leaders, community
organizations, health care and human service providers and
national organizations to coordinate efforts and maximize
State and private resources in the areas of education about
SIDS and SUDI, including the risk factors and safe sleeping
practices.
(3) Identify and, when appropriate, replicate or use
successful SIDS and SUDI programs and procure related
materials and services from organizations with appropriate
experience and knowledge of SIDS and SUDI.
Section 7. Regulations.
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The department may promulgate regulations necessary to
implement the provisions of this act.
Section 8. Effective date.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.
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