[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 715 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 715

    Expressing support for designation of April 2016 as ``National 
           Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2016

 Mr. Holding (for himself, Mr. Connolly, and Mr. Meehan) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for designation of April 2016 as ``National 
           Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month''.

Whereas congenital diaphragmatic hernia (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``CDH'') occurs in individuals in which the diaphragm fails to fully 
        form, allowing abdominal organs to migrate into the chest cavity and 
        preventing lung growth;
Whereas the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
        recognizes CDH as a birth defect;
Whereas the majority of CDH patients suffer from underdeveloped lungs or poor 
        pulmonary function;
Whereas babies born with CDH endure extended hospital stays in intensive care 
        with multiple surgeries;
Whereas CDH patients often endure long-term complications, such as pulmonary 
        hypertension, pulmonary hypoplasia, asthma, gastrointestinal reflux, 
        feeding disorders, and developmental delays;
Whereas CDH survivors sometimes endure long-term mechanical ventilation 
        dependency, skeletal malformations, supplemental oxygen dependency, 
        enteral and parenteral nutrition, and hypoxic brain injury;
Whereas CDH is treated through mechanical ventilation, a heart and lung bypass 
        (commonly known as ``extracorporeal membrane oxygenation''), machines, 
        and surgical repair;
Whereas surgical repair is often not a permanent solution for CDH and can lead 
        to reherniation and require additional surgery;
Whereas CDH is diagnosed in utero in less than 50 percent of cases;
Whereas infants born with CDH have a high mortality rate, ranging from 20 to 60 
        percent, depending on the severity of the defect and interventions 
        available at delivery;
Whereas CDH has a rate of occurrence of 1 in every 3,836 live births worldwide;
Whereas in the United States, CDH affects approximately 1,088 babies each year;
Whereas since 2000, CDH has affected more than 700,000 babies worldwide;
Whereas CDH does not discriminate based on race, gender, or socioeconomic 
        status;
Whereas the cause of CDH is unknown;
Whereas the average CDH survivor will face postnatal care that totals not less 
        than $100,000; and
Whereas Federal support for CDH research at the National Institutes of Health 
        for 2015 is estimated to be not more than $3,300,000: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Congenital 
        Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month'';
            (2) encourages that steps should be taken--
                    (A) to raise awareness of and increase public 
                knowledge about congenital diaphragmatic hernia 
                (referred to in this resolving clause as ``CDH'');
                    (B) to inform all people of the United States about 
                the dangers of CDH, especially groups of people that 
                may be disproportionately affected by CDH or have lower 
                survival rates;
                    (C) to disseminate information on the importance of 
                quality neonatal care of CDH patients;
                    (D) to promote quality prenatal care and 
                ultrasounds to detect CDH in utero; and
                    (E) to support research funding of CDH--
                            (i) to improve screening and treatment for 
                        CDH;
                            (ii) to discover the causes of CDH; and
                            (iii) to develop a cure for CDH; and
            (3) calls on the people of the United States, interest 
        groups, and affected persons--
                    (A) to promote awareness of CDH;
                    (B) to take an active role in the fight against 
                this devastating birth defect; and
                    (C) to observe National Congenital Diaphragmatic 
                Hernia Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies and 
                activities.
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