[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 167 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING NATIONAL SPINA BIFIDA MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 31, 2007

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, as Co-Chair of the 
Congressional Spina Bifida Caucus I rise today to recognize October as 
National Spina Bifida Month. Currently, more than 70,000 people in the 
United States live with Spina Bifida, the Nation's most common 
permanently disabling birth defect. Each October we honor these 
Americans during National Spina Bifida Month, but we must be steadfast 
in our efforts year round to prevent and reduce suffering from this 
devastating birth defect.
  Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs in the first month 
of pregnancy when the spinal column does not close completely. An 
average of eight babies a day are born with Spina Bifida or a similar 
birth defect of the brain and spine. Currently, approximately 3,000 
pregnancies each year are affected by Spina Bifida; however, the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimates that up to 
70 percent of Spina Bifida and other neural tube defects could be 
prevented if all women of childbearing age consumed 400 micrograms of 
folic acid daily, prior to becoming pregnant.
  Fortunately, the CDC's National Spina Bifida Program--which I helped 
to create with my colleague and caucus co-chair Representative Bart 
Stupak--plays a critical role in addressing both sides of the Spina 
Bifida equation--preventing the birth defect and providing support and 
quality-of-life enhancement for people living with it. I am proud that 
the National Spina Bifida Program--in its more than 4 years of 
existence--is making a significant difference in the lives of people 
with Spina Bifida. Now patients, parents, health professionals, and 
caregivers have the information and resources they need to ensure that 
quality-of-life is maximized for all who live with this condition and 
that we are doing our best to reduce the number of Spina Bifida 
affected pregnancies through education and awareness of women about the 
importance of their consumption of folic acid prior to becoming 
pregnant.
  I want to express my deep gratitude to my colleagues on the House 
Appropriations Committee who allocated $5.535 million for the National 
Spina Bifida Program in the FY 2008 Labor-Health and Human Services-
Education, LHHS, bill. As members of the House and Senate LHHS 
Subcommittees work to reconcile the differences between their hills, I 
urge my colleagues to cede to the House allocation and help ensure that 
the National Spina Bifida Program receives adequate funding in the 
final FY 2008 LHHS measure so it can sustain and expand its important 
initiatives.
  In addition, I hope my colleagues will support the report language 
from the Senate FY 2008 Agriculture Appropriations measure which urges 
the FDA to review--and hopefully expand--current folic acid 
fortification standards so that we can continue to make strides in 
reducing the number of preventable neural tube defects.
  Lastly, I wish to thank the Spina Bifida Association, SBA, for 
playing a critical role in helping those living with and affected by 
this debilitating birth defect. Founded in 1973, SBA is the nation's 
only organization solely dedicated to advocating on behalf of the Spina 
Bifida community. Through its nearly 60 chapters in more than 125 
communities, the SBA brings expectant parents together with those who 
have a child with Spina Bifida. This interaction helps to answer 
questions and concerns, but most importantly it lends much needed 
support and provides hope and inspiration.
  I thank the SBA for its partnership and its commitment to ensuring 
that we are doing all that we can to reduce and prevent suffering from 
Spina Bifida. I encourage my colleagues to join with me in recognizing 
October as National Spina Bifida Month and in educating our 
constituents about the importance of folic acid consumption among women 
of child-bearing age. Together, with the SBA, we can help prevent Spina 
Bifida.

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