HR 14 (LSB 2075HH (5) 85)

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 14

BY  L. MILLER

A Resolution honoring the March of Dimes Foundation for its multifaceted and ongoing role in protecting the health of mothers, infants, and children.

   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes Foundation was a pioneer in improving the health of infants and women of childbearing age by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to fight polio, and funded the development of two vaccines that virtually eliminated the crippling disease; and
   WHEREAS, in 1958, the March of Dimes, having achieved its initial mission, shifted its attention from polio to the prevention of birth defects, and through federal and state advocacy led the way in establishing a nationwide network of birth defects monitoring programs and research centers; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes has undertaken decades of groundbreaking research in maternal and child health, which has led to the discovery of lifesaving products and tests such as surfactant therapy for premature infants and tests to identify life-threatening birth defects; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes was a pioneer in the support of newborn screening, urging Congress to pass and fund the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which established national guidelines on the conditions states should include in newborn programs, and through state advocacy ensured that every state screens all newborns for that core set of conditions; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes is a long-time advocate for access to health care for women of childbearing age, infants, children, and families, ensuring they have access to private and public health coverage; and
   WHEREAS, in 2003, the March of Dimes launched the prematurity campaign to address the crisis of premature birth and help families have full-term, healthy babies, and authored the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who Deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Act, to expand research, education, and services to fight premature births; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes has set a national goal of reducing preterm births to 9.6 percent in every state by 2020, which will result in a healthier start in life for tens of thousands of infants; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes sponsors numerous programs to support healthy pregnancies and infants, such as its collaborative work with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative to prevent early elective deliveries and the Blank Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Family Support program; and
   WHEREAS, the March of Dimes and its volunteers continue to advocate for national and state health policies and programs that affect Iowa women of childbearing age, infants, children, and families, including funding to support the hawk-i program and the Center for Congenital and Inherited Disorders Registry; NOW THEREFORE,

   BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That the House of Representatives congratulates the March of Dimes Iowa Chapter on its observance of the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes and urges all residents of Iowa to celebrate this year by supporting the efforts of the March of Dimes through programs of research, education, community services, and advocacy to give every child a healthy start in life.