house resolution no.183

Reps. Brixie, Bolden, Clemente, Garza, Green, Hertel, Kennedy, Lasinski, Leutheuser, Liberati, Love, Pagan, Sabo, Sowerby, Stone, Warren, Wittenberg and Witwer offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare October 15, 2019, as Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, According to the Mayo Clinic, about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage; and

Whereas, The National Center for Health Statistics estimates there are more than 1 million fetal losses per year in the United States. The vast majority of these losses occur before 20 weeks of gestation; and

Whereas, According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stillbirth affects about 1 percent of all pregnancies in the United States and there were approximately 24,000 stillbirths reported in 2018; and

Whereas, The availability of information and support is of the utmost importance to the women and families who experience miscarriage or other types of pregnancy loss to better help them cope; and

Whereas, A public that is informed and educated about miscarriage or pregnancy loss can better learn how to respond with compassion to affected families. Professionals who come in contact with families who have suffered miscarriage or pregnancy loss, such as physicians, clergy, emergency medical technicians, funeral directors, police officers, public health nurses, educators and employers, can better serve families if they have better knowledge of miscarriage or pregnancy loss; and

Whereas, Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day was created to recognize the grief of the families, to remember all of the pregnancies lost, and to increase awareness about pregnancy loss. This day will help to heal and comfort the families in a time of pain and heartache, give the families hope for the future, and help women and families understand and process their experience; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare October 15, 2019, as Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day in the state of Michigan. We recognize the grief of the families who have experienced miscarriage or pregnancy loss  and wish to help heal and comfort these families in a time of pain and heartache, to give the families hope for the future, and to assist women and families across the state in understanding their experience.