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March of Dimes Says State Leaders Must Not Allow Slippage in Program Critical to Children's Health
Washington, DC, April 29, 2003—The following is a statement by Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, on the birth defects monitoring progress report, “Birth Defects Tracking and Prevention One Year Later: One Step Forward. Two Steps Back?" released today by the Trust for America’s Health.
State surveillance programs are the linchpin for finding causes of birth defects. Although the March of Dimes recognizes that many states are facing financial challenges, state leaders must not allow financial shortsightedness to endanger essential health programs. We urge lawmakers to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. While it may be tempting to cut funding for birth defects surveillance and research as a short-term budget balancing strategy, cutting these budget items today will undermine critical efforts to prevent the health and financial tragedies of tomorrow. Simply put, preventing birth defects is a necessary—and smart—investment.
Each year in the U.S., about 150,000 babies are born with birth defects—the leading cause of death in the first year of life. Babies who survive a birth defect are more likely to have a lifelong physical or mental disability. In addition to the emotional cost, the lifetime economic costs of caring for infants born in a single year with a serious birth defect have been estimated at $8 billion.
The causes of about two-thirds of birth defects are currently unknown. Detection and reporting of birth defects should not be left to chance. Birth defects surveillance is critical to developing prevention strategies. Recognizing this, the March of Dimes is working at both the state and federal levels to improve existing surveillance systems and create new programs where none exist.
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