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Support from Capitol Hill
On January 29, 2003, Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, M.D., of Tennessee and Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois expressed their support for the March of Dimes prematurity campaign on the floor of Congress. Here are their remarks:
Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, M.D.
Mr. President, I rise today to draw attention to an alarming issue—the growing number of premature births. According to data released by the National Center for Health Statistics, the percentage of babies born prematurely—birth at less than 37 completed weeks of gestation—has risen to nearly 12 percent, the highest level ever reported in the United States. In 2001 alone, more than 476,000 babies were born prematurely in the U.S. Unfortunately, in my own State of Tennessee, 14 percent of births are preterm. There cannot be a clearer wake-up call for us.
Today, the March of Dimes is launching a national, five-year prematurity awareness, education, and research effort aimed at preventing prematurity, the leading cause of infant death in the first month of life. I cannot imagine a better organization to take on this serious problem. Over its 63-year history, the March of Dimes has conducted two highly successful national campaigns—the first focused on preventing polio and the second involved educating the public and health providers on the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects. My friend, former Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Louis Sullivan, is the honorary chair of this campaign, and I salute him for his continued commitment to the public's health.
I'm pleased to be able to salute and encourage this new campaign which holds the promise of significantly reducing the incidence of premature birth throughout the country. Babies born prematurely are more likely to face serious multiple health problems following delivery: a tragedy for families but one which may be preventable.
Since coming to the Senate, I have focused on disparities in healthcare quality and access. Prematurity is one of the clearest indices of this problem. Rates of preterm birth vary significantly by race and ethnicity. In 2001, rates for black women were highest among all racial and ethnic subgroups—17.5 percent for black as compared to 11 percent for white Americans. We simply do not know why these numbers vary so dramatically. But without further research, our public policy options are limited.
Our great health research institutions also have an important role. I have fought for the five-year doubling of NIH's budget. With this significant increase in funding, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities can expand research in this area.
I ask all of my colleagues to join me today in congratulating the March of Dimes on its launch of this new national campaign to target the rising rate of premature births.
Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the March of Dimes on the launch of a national campaign to address the rising rate of premature births.
Today in America, more than 1,300 babies will be born too soon. Premature birthrates have risen to the highest level ever reported in the United States. In fact, a staggering one in eight babies are born preterm. And in my home State of Illinois, some 20,000 babies were born premature last year alone.
On January 30th, the March of Dimes will launch a 5-year, national research, education and awareness campaign that seeks to prevent premature birth. This campaign holds the promise of considerably reducing the rate of prematurity throughout our nation. And the reasons for doing so are clear--babies born prematurely bear an elevated risk of serious long-term health problems. Moreover, premature birth represents the leading cause of infant death in the first month of life.
I commend the March of Dimes for their efforts on behalf of the health and wellbeing of our nation's unborn children and their families. I am hopeful that this campaign will successfully and dramatically reduce the rate of preterm births in America.
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