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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish 
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to recognize the dedication and efforts of the March of Dimes 
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Illinois Chapter and its volunteers, who have been fighting for 
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the health and well-being of America's children for over 67 
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years, and who are now taking on the problem of premature 
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births; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly recognizes that 
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prematurity is the leading cause of death among babies from 
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birth to one year old in the United States; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Babies who survive a premature birth often face 
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the risk of serious life-long health problems, including 
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learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing 
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loss, and other chronic conditions, including asthma; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Prematurity costs Illinois families and 
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communities millions of dollars each year in care and 
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treatment; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Sadly, the number of premature births has risen 
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approximately 27 percent over the last 2 decades; today, more 
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than 530,000 babies are prematurely born in the United States 
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each year, which costs the nation more than $26 billion a  year; 
 


 






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and

 
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    WHEREAS, There are more than 23,000 premature births in the 
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State of Illinois, or approximately one in every 8 births; 
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prematurity is clearly a significant and alarming problem; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In response to this problem, the March of Dimes is 
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leading a national campaign to save babies from premature birth 
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by funding research to find the causes of prematurity and by 
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aiding local programs that that provide assistance to families 
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with babies that are born premature; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As part of the national campaign against premature 
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birth, the March of Dimes is working to enhance awareness of 
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smoking cessation as a vital part of maternity care; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In November of 2008, the March of Dimes will 
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coordinate activities throughout the country with help from 
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many local healthcare professionals and government agencies 
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and departments to call attention to premature birth and to 
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offer hope to families affected by it; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim the month of 
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November to be Premature Birth Awareness Month in the State of 
 


 






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Illinois and encourage all citizens to be cognizant of the 
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outstanding life-saving services provided to the people of 
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Illinois by the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter; and be it 
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further

 
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    RESOLVED, That the Illinois General Assembly finds it 
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important to improve access to health coverage for women of 
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childbearing age, to support smoking cessation programs as part 
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of maternity care, and to seek the implementation of policies 
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to reduce premature births, including calling upon hospitals 
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and health care professionals to voluntarily assess c-sections 
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and inductions which occur prior to 39 weeks gestation and 
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working with the business community to create environments 
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supportive of maternal and infant health; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter as an 
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expression of our extreme gratitude.