PRINTER'S NO. 1760
No. 191 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY E. Z. TAYLOR, BARD, S. MILLER, FLICK, ADOLPH,
ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI,
BENNINGHOFF, BROWNE, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA,
CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, CLARK, CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, COY,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, DALEY, DALLY, DERMODY, DeWEESE,
DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FORCIER,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER,
HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, JAMES,
JOSEPHS, KELLER, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, MACKERETH, MAJOR,
MANDERINO, MANN, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, MUNDY,
NAILOR, PALLONE, PIPPY, PRESTON, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROHRER,
ROSS, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SATHER, SCHRODER, SCHULER, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STURLA, SURRA, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS,
TIGUE, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATERS, WATSON, C. WILLIAMS, WILT,
WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 1, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 1, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of May 2001 as "Healthy Babies Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The March of Dimes has declared May 2001 to be
4 "Healthy Babies Month" in order to educate men and women of
5 childbearing age on the importance of preconception and prenatal
6 care, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in ensuring a positive
7 birth outcome; and
8 WHEREAS, The most recently published report on infant deaths
9 indicates that, of the 1,056 infant deaths reported in
10 Pennsylvania, 201 or 19% were due to birth defects; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1998 the March of Dimes successfully advocated
1 for the enactment of Federal legislation to establish research
2 and surveillance programs to prevent the tragic incidence of
3 birth defects, a critical step in reducing the impact of birth
4 defects on our nation's public health; and
5 WHEREAS, Although birth defects strike in a number of ways
6 and every family is vulnerable, much has been learned in recent
7 years about reducing the risks of known causes of physical and
8 mental damage during pregnancy; and
9 WHEREAS, Early, regular preconception and prenatal care is a
10 pregnant woman's first line of defense for protecting her baby;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, If problems arise and are detected early in
13 pregnancy, they are more likely to respond to treatment; and
14 WHEREAS, Today's women can benefit from new knowledge, new
15 skills and new technology to prepare for and monitor a healthy
16 pregnancy and diagnose and treat high-risk problems; and
17 WHEREAS, Birth defects surveillance and research has
18 determined that folic acid, a B vitamin, can reduce a woman's
19 risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as
20 spina bifida by up to 70% if taken BEFORE she becomes pregnant
21 and during the early weeks of her pregnancy; and
22 WHEREAS, Folic acid can be found in most multivitamin
23 supplements and certain foods such as fortified breakfast
24 cereals; and
25 WHEREAS, Folic acid may also decrease a woman's risks of
26 developing heart diseases, stroke, colon cancer and precancerous
27 lesions of the cervix; and
28 WHEREAS, Other recommendations for a healthy pregnancy
29 include preventing infections such as rubella, not using
30 prescription or over-the-counter medications without approval of
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1 a doctor, getting plenty of rest and exercise and avoiding
2 smoking, alcohol and illicit substances; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
4 month of May 2001 as "Healthy Babies Month" in Pennsylvania and
5 urge mothers and prospective mothers to contact the March of
6 Dimes and allied organizations for literature on how to prepare
7 themselves before conception and during pregnancy.
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