Full Text of HJR0111 96th General Assembly
HJ0111 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HJ0111 |
|
LRB096 21411 KTG 37718 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, Nearly one in 8 babies born in Illinois is born | 3 |
| preterm, 13.3% of Illinois babies in total; and
| 4 |
| WHEREAS, The percentage of preterm births in Illinois has | 5 |
| increased by 15%; and
| 6 |
| WHEREAS, The rate of preterm births in Illinois is highest | 7 |
| for African-American infants (19.3%) followed by Native | 8 |
| Americans (15.6%), Hispanics (12.1%), Caucasians (11.9%) and | 9 |
| Asians (10.7%); and
| 10 |
| WHEREAS, African-American infants (19.3%) are about two | 11 |
| times as likely as Asian infants (10.7%) to be born preterm; | 12 |
| and
| 13 |
| WHEREAS, Major risk factors for preterm and very preterm | 14 |
| births include multiple births, history of preterm delivery, | 15 |
| stress, infection, smoking, and illicit drug use; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, In the United States, preterm birth or low birth | 17 |
| weight is the 2nd leading cause of all infant deaths during the | 18 |
| first year of life and the leading cause of infant deaths among | 19 |
| African-American infants; and |
|
|
|
HJ0111 |
- 2 - |
LRB096 21411 KTG 37718 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, The global toll of preterm births is severe; and | 2 |
| an estimated 28% of the 4 million annual neonatal deaths are | 3 |
| due to preterm births; and | 4 |
| WHEREAS, Children born preterm have higher rates of | 5 |
| learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, sensory deficits, and | 6 |
| respiratory illnesses compared to children born at term; and
| 7 |
| WHEREAS, To be most effective, preventive strategies | 8 |
| should involve strengthening existing reproductive, maternal, | 9 |
| newborn, and child health care programs to encourage synergies | 10 |
| of preterm birth care while, at the same time, stimulating | 11 |
| fresh thinking and innovative new approaches to prevention; | 12 |
| therefore, be it
| 13 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 14 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 15 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that a task force shall be created to | 16 |
| investigate how Illinois can reduce the incidence of preterm | 17 |
| births in Illinois; and be it further
| 18 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall be composed of the | 19 |
| Director of Public Health, or his or her designee, who shall | 20 |
| serve as the Chair of the task force; 2 members of the State | 21 |
| Board of Health; the Director of the Maternal and Child Health | 22 |
| Advisory Board; a neonatologist; a social worker; a preemie |
|
|
|
HJ0111 |
- 3 - |
LRB096 21411 KTG 37718 r |
|
| 1 |
| nurse; a representative of an organization whose main focus is | 2 |
| on preterm births; 2 members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives, one of whom shall be named by the Speaker of | 4 |
| the House, and one of whom shall be named by the Minority | 5 |
| Leader of the House; and 2 members of the Senate, one of whom | 6 |
| shall be named by the President of the Senate and one of whom | 7 |
| shall be named by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and be it | 8 |
| further | 9 |
| RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health | 10 |
| shall provide or work with stakeholders to provide logistical | 11 |
| and support staff to the task force; and be it further | 12 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall, in a written report | 13 |
| that is to be delivered to the General Assembly on or before | 14 |
| November 1, 2011, make findings and recommendations concerning | 15 |
| reducing preterm births in Illinois; and be it further
| 16 |
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to | 17 |
| the Director of the Department of Public Health.
|
|