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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, LOGAN, KASUNIC, FERLO, BAKER, DINNIMAN, ROBBINS, COSTA, KITCHEN, PILEGGI, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, MELLOW, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, ORIE, RAFFERTY, STACK, O'PAKE AND FARNESE, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 |
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| INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 |
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| A RESOLUTION |
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1 | Recognizing the month of September 2009 as "Infant Mortality |
2 | Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. |
3 | WHEREAS, Infant mortality, referring to the death of a baby |
4 | before it reaches its first birthday, is especially prevalent in |
5 | communities with large minority populations, high rates of |
6 | unemployment and poverty and limited access to safe housing and |
7 | medical providers; and |
8 | WHEREAS, The United States ranks 29th among industrialized |
9 | nations in the rate of infant mortality, with 40 countries, |
10 | including the Czech Republic, South Korea, Cuba and Slovenia |
11 | having lower infant death rates than the United States; and |
12 | WHEREAS, A Child Health USA 2006 study conducted by the |
13 | Department of Health and Human Services noted that the infant |
14 | mortality rate declined from the 1960s into this century, but |
15 | increased slightly between 2004 and 2005; and |
16 | WHEREAS, In 2005, 28,440 infants died before their first |
17 | birthday, representing an infant mortality rate of 6.9 deaths |
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1 | per 1,000 live births; and |
2 | WHEREAS, In 2005, infant mortality among non-Hispanic Blacks |
3 | was 14.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, which was more than twice |
4 | the rate among non-Hispanic White and Hispanic infants, which |
5 | was 5.7 deaths and 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, |
6 | respectively; and |
7 | WHEREAS, In 2005, infant mortality in Pennsylvania for non- |
8 | Hispanic Blacks was 15.7 deaths per 1,000 live births as |
9 | compared to 7.1 deaths for Hispanics and 5.2 deaths for Whites; |
10 | and |
11 | WHEREAS, Infant mortality is a significant and troubling |
12 | public health issue; and |
13 | WHEREAS, Studies have shown that the cost of care for low |
14 | birth weight babies has an estimated annual economic impact of |
15 | $13 billion; and |
16 | WHEREAS, While intensive neonatal care is an effective means |
17 | to address this issue, awareness of a pregnant woman's need to |
18 | participate in early prenatal care has a bigger impact of the |
19 | issue; and |
20 | WHEREAS, Groups across the nation are holding special events |
21 | like baby parades, Bowling for Babies fundraisers, neighborhood |
22 | health fairs, open houses, poster contests, unbirthday parties, |
23 | clothesline projects, memorial gardens and other initiatives to |
24 | raise awareness of infant mortality and prevention; and |
25 | WHEREAS, Organizations such as Healthy Start, a federally |
26 | funded program utilizing a strong, community-based coalition, |
27 | are having a dramatic impact on decreasing the high rates of |
28 | infant mortality, and Pennsylvania is home to seven of the 102 |
29 | Healthy Start projects nationwide; and |
30 | WHEREAS, Since 1998, Healthy Start projects across the |
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1 | country have successfully increased the rate of pregnant women's |
2 | participation in early prenatal care during the first trimester |
3 | from 41.8% to more than 70%, directly saving the lives of many |
4 | vulnerable infants; and |
5 | WHEREAS, In 2005, infant mortality in Allegheny County for |
6 | non-Hispanic Blacks was 17.2 deaths per 1,000 live births or |
7 | almost three times greater than that of White infants at 5.2 |
8 | deaths per 1,000 live births; and |
9 | WHEREAS, Comparatively, from 2005 through 2007, the infant |
10 | mortality rate for all infants receiving services from Healthy |
11 | Start, Inc.'s Pittsburgh/Allegheny County project was 2.74 |
12 | deaths per 1,000 live births, or 2.5 times less than the |
13 | national average; and |
14 | WHEREAS, The observance of Infant Mortality Awareness Month |
15 | by groups such as Healthy Start will increase national awareness |
16 | of infant mortality and its contributing factors, and it will |
17 | also allow for the facilitation of activities that will help |
18 | local communities address this issue; therefore be it |
19 | RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize September 2009 as "Infant |
20 | Mortality Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and commend |
21 | organizations such as Healthy Start for their important role in |
22 | addressing this public health issue. |
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