HR0450 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0450 LRB095 12227 KXB 36599 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States; and

WHEREAS, 2,500 babies are born each year in the United States with a neural tube defect such as anencephaly or spina bifida; and

WHEREAS, Anencephaly is a fatal condition in which a baby is born with a severely underdeveloped brain and skull; and

WHEREAS, Spina bifida affects the backbone and, sometimes, the spinal cord, and children with the severe form of spina bifida have some degree of leg paralysis and bladder and bowel control problems; and

WHEREAS, Sufficient amounts of folic acid, a B vitamin, in a woman's diet before and during pregnancy can reduce the risk of neural tube defect; and

WHEREAS, Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of these cases could be prevented if women consumed at least 400 micrograms of folic acid before they become pregnant and during early pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, In accordance with the United States Public Health Service and Institute of Medicine, the March of Dimes suggests that all women of child bearing age consume a multi-vitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid daily as part of a healthy diet; and

WHEREAS, Although 84 percent of women of childbearing age have heard of folic acid, only 33 percent take a multi-vitamin and only 7 percent know it should be taken before pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, Studies suggest that folic acid may help prevent some other birth defects, including cleft lip and palate and birth defects involving the heart and limbs and also may help prevent heart disease and stroke; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge all regional Superintendents of Schools in the State of Illinois to distribute information to schools in their region on the importance of folic acid; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Regional Superintendents of Schools distribute information that indicates the March of Dimes, whose website is www.marchofdimes.com, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), whose website is www.cdc.gov, as resources for free material, literature, and model lesson plans on Folic Acid and proper nutrition; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to each Regional Superintendent of Schools in the State of Illinois.