Senate Passes Infant Mortality Awareness Resolution

On September 22, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution to support the goals and ideals of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month (S. Res. 586).

Sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), the measure contains several findings, including:

• The term “infant mortality” refers to the death of a baby before the first birthday of the baby;
• The United States ranks 49th among countries in the rate of infant mortality;
• High rates of infant mortality are especially prevalent in African American, Native American, Alaskan Native, Latino, Asian, and Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities, communities with high rates of unemployment and poverty, and communities with limited access to safe housing and medical providers;
• Premature birth is a leading cause of infant mortality;
• According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, premature birth costs the United States more than $26 billion annually;
• Infant mortality can be substantially reduced through community-based services, such as outreach, home visitation, case management, health education, and interconceptional care;
• Support for community-based programs to reduce infant mortality may result in lower future spending on medical interventions, special education, and other social services that may be needed for infants and children who are born with a low birth weight;
• Public awareness and education campaigns on infant mortality are held during the month of September each year; and
• September 2012 has been designated as “National Infant Mortality Awareness Month.”

The Senate “supports efforts to educate people in the United States about infant mortality and the factors that contribute to infant mortality” and “recognizes the critical importance of including efforts to reduce infant mortality and the factors that contribute to infant mortality as part of prevention and wellness strategies.” The resolution calls on the people of the United States to “observe National Infant Mortality Awareness Month with appropriate programs and activities.”