Bill Text: NJ SJR54 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permanently designates May as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SJR54 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SJR54-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator NILSA CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Permanently designates May as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution permanently designating the month of May as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in New Jersey.
Whereas, Preeclampsia is a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy and the postpartum period and is related to high blood pressure; and
Whereas, The disorder takes the life of 76,000 women and 500,000 infants every year worldwide; and
Whereas, Risks to mothers include seizures, stroke, organ damage, and death and risks to infants include premature birth and death; and
Whereas, From 1998 through 2006, 56 percent more African-American women had preeclampsia than Caucasian women, and African-American women are four times more likely to die as a result of the disorder; and
Whereas, Symptoms of preeclampsia can be mistaken for changes in a woman's body that normally take place during pregnancy; and
Whereas, It is critical for all pregnant women to understand and recognize the warning signs of preeclampsia and seek medical attention if they experience them; and
Whereas, Signs of preeclampsia, which are often measured by a healthcare provider, include: high blood pressure; protein in the urine; swelling of the face and hands; weight gain of more than five pounds per week; stomach pain; persistent headaches, even after taking medication; changes in vision; nausea or vomiting, especially late in pregnancy; and difficulty breathing; and
Whereas, Women who have had preeclampsia are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, postpartum depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; and
Whereas, While it is unknown whether the risk of developing these diseases is caused by preeclampsia or because the women were already predisposed, these diseases first emerge in the years following a complicated pregnancy; and
Whereas, Research efforts have produced medical breakthroughs that may lead to a better understanding of the causes of preeclampsia, improved diagnostic techniques, and the discovery of new methods to treat women with the disorder; and
Whereas, Raising public awareness about preeclampsia and the causes and long-term effects of the disorder could encourage the research community's continued search for a cure and development of treatment and prevention strategies for preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of May shall be permanently designated as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in the State of New Jersey in order to raise public awareness about preeclampsia and the causes and long-term effects of the disorder and encourage the research community's search for a cure and development of treatment and prevention strategies for preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
2. The Governor is respectively requested to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the month of May as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in New Jersey, and calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This resolution permanently designates the month of May as "Preeclampsia Awareness Month" in the State of New Jersey in order to raise public awareness about preeclampsia and the causes and long-term effects of the disorder and encourage the research community's continued search for a cure and development of treatment and prevention strategies for preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
