March of Dimes Hails Final Passage of Children's Health Act
Washington, DC, Sept. 27, 2000—The March of Dimes today applauded final passage of the Children’s Health Act of 2000 in the U.S. House of Representatives, and called on President Clinton to sign the bill into law. The legislation contains a series of provisions to improve the health and welfare of mothers, infants and children. As it did last week in the U.S. Senate, the bill passed today with overwhelming bipartisan support.
"Members of Congress have taken a critical step forward in working to protect the lives of mothers and children," said Dr. Jennifer Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "We expect the President to sign this important legislation and for appropriators to move these children’s health needs to the top of their priority list."
While the bill includes a lengthy list of provisions intended to protect the health and welfare of America’s families, six key provisions support the March of Dimes’ mission to improve the health of infants and children by preventing birth defects and infant mortality; namely, by:
- Creating a National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at CDC to advance research and prevention of birth defects and developmental disabilities, including fragile X;
- Authorizing a newborn screening initiative, an important step in giving states the resources they need to improve and expand newborn screening;
- Authorizing the CDC to conduct a comprehensive national education campaign to raise awareness of folic acid. Folic acid can prevent up to 70 percent of serious birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects;
- Intensifying and expanding autism research and surveillance activities;
- Expanding the "Pediatric Research Initiative" at the National Institutes of Health;
- Initiating a "Safe Motherhood Monitoring and Infant Health Promotion" program to reduce the incidence of maternal complications and mortality associated with pregnancy.
For more information on the bill, call the March of Dimes Office of Government Affairs at 202-659-1800.
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