HJ0144 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0144 LRB095 22816 GRL 53603 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish to recognize the dedication and efforts of the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter and its volunteers, who have been fighting for the health and well-being of America's children for over 67 years, and who are now taking on the problem of premature births; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly recognizes that prematurity is the leading cause of death among babies from birth to one year old in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Babies who survive a premature birth often face the risk of serious life-long health problems, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, and other chronic conditions, including asthma; and

WHEREAS, Prematurity costs Illinois families and communities millions of dollars each year in care and treatment; and

WHEREAS, Sadly, the number of premature births has risen approximately 27 percent over the last 2 decades; today, more than 530,000 babies are prematurely born in the United States each year, which costs the nation more than $26 billion a year; and

WHEREAS, There are more than 23,000 premature births in the State of Illinois, or approximately one in every 8 births; prematurity is clearly a significant and alarming problem; and

WHEREAS, In response to this problem, the March of Dimes is leading a national campaign to save babies from premature birth by funding research to find the causes of prematurity and by aiding local programs that that provide assistance to families with babies that are born premature; and

WHEREAS, As part of the national campaign against premature birth, the March of Dimes is working to enhance awareness of smoking cessation as a vital part of maternity care; and

WHEREAS, In November of 2008, the March of Dimes will coordinate activities throughout the country with help from many local healthcare professionals and government agencies and departments to call attention to premature birth and to offer hope to families affected by it; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim the month of November to be Premature Birth Awareness Month in the State of Illinois and encourage all citizens to be cognizant of the outstanding life-saving services provided to the people of Illinois by the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois General Assembly finds it important to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age, to support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care, and to seek the implementation of policies to reduce premature births, including calling upon hospitals and health care professionals to voluntarily assess c-sections and inductions which occur prior to 39 weeks gestation and working with the business community to create environments supportive of maternal and infant health; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter as an expression of our extreme gratitude.