Bill Text: MI HR0242 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of Community Health to acknowledge Failure to Thrive as a specific illness.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-25 - Referred To Committee On Health Policy [HR0242 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HR0242-Introduced.html
Reps. Sheltrown, Terry Brown, Espinoza, Robert Jones, Liss, Roberts and Valentine offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 242.
A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of Community Health to acknowledge Failure to Thrive as a specific illness.
Whereas, Failure to Thrive (FTT) is a chronic health condition that affects infants at a critical time in their growth and development. The American Association of Family Physicians defines Failure to Thrive as "inadequate growth diagnosed by observation of growth over time using a standard growth chart." A child is diagnosed by most practitioners when a child's weight for age drops below the fifth percentile or crosses two major percentile lines; and
Whereas, FTT causes a child to have difficulties in maintaining life-sustaining nutrition due to multiple allergies and digestive problems. As one of the major causes of malnutrition, FTT accounts for 1-5 percent of all pediatric hospital admissions. Socioeconomic factors, such as financial hardship, lack of knowledge of infant/child nutrition, and family stressors due to poverty, exponentially raise the vulnerability of infants to FTT; and
Whereas, Currently, FTT is one among numerous other chronic conditions. However, because 75 percent of brain development occurs in the first years of life, its potentially severe consequences for the health and life of infants warrants recognition as a specific illness; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Michigan Department of Community Health to acknowledge Failure to Thrive as a specific illness; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health.
