Bill Text: PA SR390 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing the month of September 2010 as "Infant Mortality Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2010-09-21 - Introduced and adopted [SR390 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SR390-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2209
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 390 Session of2010
INTRODUCED BY FERLO, FONTANA, TARTAGLIONE, ORIE, O'PAKE, ERICKSON, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, STOUT AND ALLOWAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of September 2010 as "Infant Mortality
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Infant mortality, referring to the death of a baby
before it reaches its first birthday, is especially prevalent in
communities with large minority populations, high rates of
unemployment and poverty and limited access to safe housing and
medical providers; and
WHEREAS, The United States ranks 46th among industrialized
nations in the rate of infant mortality, with many countries,
including Guam, Italy, Cuba and Taiwan having lower infant death
rates than the United States; and
WHEREAS, A Child Health USA 2006 study conducted by the
Department of Health and Human Services noted that the infant
mortality rate declined from the 1960s into this century, but
increased slightly between 2004 and 2005; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, more than 28,000 infants died before their
first birthday, representing an infant mortality rate of 6.9
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deaths per 1,000 live births; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, infant mortality among non-Hispanic Blacks
was 14.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, which was more than twice
the rate among non-Hispanic White and Hispanic infants, which
was 5.7 deaths and 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births,
respectively; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, infant mortality in Pennsylvania for non-
Hispanic Blacks was 13.8 deaths per 1,000 live births as
compared to 7.7 deaths for Hispanics and 5.8 deaths for Whites;
and
WHEREAS, Infant mortality is a significant and troubling
public health issue; and
WHEREAS, Studies have shown that the cost of care for low
birth weight babies has an estimated annual economic impact of
$13 billion; and
WHEREAS, While intensive neonatal care is an effective means
to address this issue, awareness of a pregnant woman's need to
participate in early prenatal care has a bigger impact of the
issue; and
WHEREAS, Groups across the nation are holding special events
like baby parades, Bowling for Babies fundraisers, neighborhood
health fairs, open houses, poster contests, unbirthday parties,
clothesline projects, memorial gardens and other initiatives to
raise awareness of infant mortality and prevention; and
WHEREAS, Organizations such as Healthy Start, a federally
funded program utilizing a strong, community-based coalition,
are having a dramatic impact on decreasing the high rates of
infant mortality, and Pennsylvania is home to seven of the 102
Healthy Start projects nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Since 1998, Healthy Start projects across the
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country have successfully increased the rate of pregnant women's
participation in early prenatal care during the first trimester
from 41.8% to more than 70%, directly saving the lives of many
vulnerable infants; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, infant mortality in Allegheny County for
non-Hispanic Blacks was 17.2 deaths per 1,000 live births or
more than three times greater than that of White infants at 5.2
deaths per 1,000 live births; and
WHEREAS, Comparatively, from 2005 through 2007, the infant
mortality rate for all infants receiving services from Healthy
Start, Inc.'s Pittsburgh/Allegheny County project was 2.74
deaths per 1,000 live births, or 2.5 times less than the
national average; and
WHEREAS, The observance of Infant Mortality Awareness Month
by groups such as Healthy Start will increase national awareness
of infant mortality and its contributing factors, and it will
also allow for the facilitation of activities that will help
local communities address this issue; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize September 2010 as "Infant
Mortality Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and commend
organizations such as Healthy Start for their important role in
addressing this public health issue.
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