Bill Text: NJ AJR221 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates October of each year "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-11-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Women and Children Committee [AJR221 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-AJR221-Introduced.html
No. 221
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 14, 2019
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Designates October of each year "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating the month of October of each year as "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month."
Whereas, The death of an infant causes irreparable pain and suffering to families in New Jersey and across the United States; and
Whereas, New Jersey is committed to engaging in research and outreach that aims to bring awareness to infant mortality and its devastating consequences; and
Whereas, The infant mortality rate in the United States has declined since 1995, but is still higher than the infant mortality rate in other developed nations, with 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births; and
Whereas, The infant mortality rate in New Jersey is lower than the national average, with 4.45 infant deaths per 1,000 births; and
Whereas, There are numerous causes of infant mortality, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, commonly known as "SIDS"; and
Whereas, SIDS occurs when an infant, under the age of one, dies of unexplained causes while sleeping; and
Whereas, The number of infants who die from SIDS every year has continued to decline since the early 1990s, when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that infants sleep on their backs; and
Whereas, This decline has continued into the 21st century, with a 29 percent decline in the SIDS infant mortality rate between 2005 and 2014; and
Whereas, Even with this decline, SIDS was the fourth leading cause of death in infants under the age of one in the United States as of 2017, with approximately 1,400 deaths reportedly caused by SIDS; and
Whereas, Racial disparities in the rates of SIDS and infant mortality continue to persist; and
Whereas, Infants born to African-American, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women experienced higher rates of SIDS and overall infant mortality in 2017 than infants born to Caucasian and Asian women; and
Whereas, In 2017, the SIDS rates for infants born to African-American and Native American or Alaska Native women were 69.7 and 76.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively, compared to the SIDS rate for infants born to Caucasian women at 34.5 deaths per 100,000 live births; and
Whereas, It is important to support research efforts into the causes of SIDS and best practices for reducing and preventing SIDS; and
Whereas, It is important to promote outreach aimed at educating families on the causes of SIDS; and
Whereas, "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month" aims to inform the public about causes of SIDS and best practices for reducing and preventing SIDS; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of October of each year is designated as "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month" in order to educate families on the causes of SIDS and promote research into identifying best practices for reducing the occurrence of SIDS.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the month of October as "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month" and call upon public officials and the residents of New Jersey to observe the month of October with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates the month of October of each year as "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month."
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, commonly known as "SIDS," occurs when an infant under the age of one dies of unexplained causes while sleeping. SIDS is one of a number of infant death classifications that contribute to the infant mortality rate. While the United States and New Jersey have seen a decline in the overall infant mortality rate since the early 1990s, SIDS remains the fourth leading cause of death in infants under the age of one in the United States as of 2017. Furthermore, racial disparities continue to persist in both the occurrence of SIDS and the overall infant mortality rate, with infants born to African-American and Native American or Alaska Native women experiencing the highest rate of SIDS and infant mortality as of 2017.
As information and research become available, it is important to ensure that the public is informed on both the causes of SIDS and best practices for preventing SIDS in an effort to reduce the number of infants who die as a result of SIDS.
