State Program Would Count Birth Defects, Identify Causes and Assist Families
HARRISBURG, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The March of Dimes today called for
passage of legislation to create a state birth defects surveillance program,
according to Dr. Joseph Botti. House Bill 1625, sponsored by Representative
Jere W. Schuler (R, Lancaster), Chairman of the House Aging and Youth
Committee, has more than 40 bipartisan sponsors including Rep. Frank Pistella
(D, Allegheny, the Committee's Democratic Chair. This initiative would allow
the State to gather and analyze data on birth defects and find new ways of
preventing them.
"Pennsylvania is one of a few states which lacks a program to identify the
number and types of birth defects that occur, thus frustrating efforts to find
the causes of birth defects, devise new methods of preventing them and deliver
services to babies born with these conditions," said Dr. Joseph Botti,
Co-Chair of the March of Dimes PA Public Affairs Committee. Representative
Schuler's legislation would allow state health officials to address this need.
March of Dimes volunteers and staff throughout the State are urging the
Governor and the legislature to use $2 million from the Tobacco Master
Settlement Agreement to support implementation of this bill.
Birth defects are the leading cause of infant death in this country, as
well as a leading cause of childhood disability. At least 150,000 babies are
born each year with serious birth defects, and many more are found to have
such disorders later in childhood. This means that the parents of one out of
every 28 babies receive the frightening news that their baby has a birth
defect. Doctors estimate that there are more than 4,000 known birth defects
and the causes of about 60% of them are currently unknown.
There are steps a woman can take to reduce her risk of having a baby with
a birth defect such as consuming a daily multivitamin containing 400
micrograms of the B-vitamin folic acid. When taken prior to and in the early
weeks of pregnancy, this can reduce the risk of having a baby with certain
birth defects of the brain and spine. One of the important benefits of Birth
Defects Surveillance Legislation is to provide guidance in producing important
birth defect prevention messages such as this.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is
to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant
mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research,
community services, education and advocacy to save babies. For more
information, visit the March of Dimes Home Page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.modimes.org. or call your local March of Dimes Chapter.
Following is a list of sponsors of HB 1625:
Representatives: SCHULER (Lancaster Co.), PISTELLA (Allegheny Co.), JAMES
Philadelphia), GEORGE (Clearfield), TIGUE (Luzerne), STERN (Blair), ORIE
(Allegheny), COY (Franklin), GODSHALL (Montgomery), NAILOR (Cumberland),
SEYFERT (Erie), WOJNAROSKI (Cambria), E.Z. TAYLOR (Chester), HESS (Bedford),
S. MILLER (Berks), KENNEY (Philadelphia), FRANKEL (Allegheny), ARMSTRONG
(Lancaster), CURRY (Montgomery), DeWEESE (Green), COSTA (Allegheny), STURLA
(Lancaster), SNYDER (Lehigh), TRELLO (Allegheny), HARHAI (Westmoreland),
SATHER (Huntingdon), SAYLOR (York), SHANER (Fayette), WILT (Mercer), ZIMMERMAN
(Lancaster), DALEY (Allegheny), CALTAGIRONE (Berks), YOUNGBLOOD
(Philadelphia), SANTONI (Berks), THOMAS (Philadelphia), STEELMAN (Indiana),
BAKER (Tioga), MUNDY (Luzerne), YUDICHAK (Luzerne), GRUCELA (Northampton) and
RUBLEY (Chester).
SOURCE March of Dimes
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Related links:
http://www.modimes.org
CONTACT:
Margaret Hudson of the March of Dimes,
610-945-6050
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