[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1010-E1011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION, RISK REDUCTION AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 28, 2010

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Birth 
Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010 today, 
which will help provide accurate, evidence-based information to 
pregnant and breast-feeding women about medications, chemical 
exposures, foodborne illness and other exposures associated with birth 
defects or health risks to a breastfed infant.
  Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding often have difficult 
questions, such as if they should continue taking medications for 
chronic diseases, or whether they should get vaccinated against H1N1 or 
the seasonal flu. The bill would establish a grant program to 
revitalize the national network of pregnancy risk information services 
(PRISs), more than half of which have closed over the last decade due 
to lack of funding. Over 70,000 women seek information from these 
essential services each year.
  The legislation, which has been endorsed by the American Academy of 
Pediatrics, March of Dimes, the Organization of Teratology Information 
Specialists, Spina Bifida Association, American Academy of Allergy, 
Asthma and Immunology, and Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of 
Asthmatics, would also call for a national information campaign to help 
increase public awareness among health providers and at-risk 
populations. I hereby submit for the Record letters of support from 
these organizations.
  There is nothing more important than protecting our children, and 
this legislation will help expectant and breast-feeding mothers to 
obtain clear, accurate information about the potential risks of 
medications, illnesses, and other exposures during pregnancy and 
breast-feeding, helping them to both avoid risks and improve healthy 
behaviors like taking folic acid. Unfortunately, research shows that up 
to half of pregnant women are not counseled by their health care 
providers about the potential risks of medications they may be taking, 
and programs to provide this information have been closing due to state 
and local budget cuts. This legislation will finally help mothers and 
health care professionals access critical information to help them 
ensure their babies are healthy, and I urge my colleagues to support 
our efforts.

                               American Academy of Pediatrics,

                                                     May 18, 2010.
     Hon. Rosa DeLauro,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative DeLauro: On behalf of the American 
     Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a non-profit professional 
     organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric 
     medical sub-specialists, and pediatric surgical specialists 
     dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, 
     children, adolescents, and young adults, I would like to 
     share our support for the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk 
     Reduction, and Awareness Act.
       Each year, about one in every 33 babies in our nation is 
     born with a birth defect. Birth defects can be caused by 
     genetic factors, environmental exposures, or a combination of 
     the two. For the vast majority of birth defects, however, the 
     cause remains unknown. Research continues to reveal important 
     new information about the causes and prevention of birth 
     defects.
       The Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness 
     Act seeks to provide a resource for pregnant women who have 
     questions about whether certain medications, infections, or 
     chemical or environmental exposures might cause or increase 
     the risk of a birth defect, or pose a risk to a breastfeeding 
     baby. The bill would support the provision of pregnancy and 
     breastfeeding information services to women and health care 
     providers seeking information about known or suspected risks. 
     Breastfeeding mothers will receive information about how 
     potential risks should be weighed against the significant 
     benefits of breastfeeding. These services will address an 
     important need as our understanding of birth defects and 
     their prevention continues to evolve.
       The AAP deeply appreciates your commitment to preventing 
     birth defects and educating the public about potential risks. 
     We are pleased to support the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk 
     Reduction, and Awareness Act, and we look forward to 
     continuing to work with you to improve the health of all our 
     nation's children.
           Sincerely,
                                                Judith S. Palfrey,
     President.
                                  ____

                                        March of Dimes Foundation,


                                 Office of Government Affairs,

                                   Washington, DC, March 30, 2010.
     Hon. Rosa DeLauro,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative DeLauro: On behalf of more than 3 
     million volunteers and 1,400 staff of the March of Dimes 
     Foundation, I am writing to express support for the ``Birth 
     Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction and Awareness Act of 
     2010.'' As currently drafted, this bill authorizes funding to 
     conduct a national media campaign, enhance surveillance and 
     research on exposures that may lead to adverse birth outcomes 
     such as birth defects or prematurity. It also authorizes 
     funding to develop best practice guidelines to improve infant 
     health.
       Each year, an estimated 120,000 infants are born with major 
     structural birth defects and one in five infant deaths is due 
     to birth defects, which are a leading cause of infant 
     mortality. It is important to ensure that the public--
     especially women of childbearing age--and health care 
     professionals have access to clinical and evidence based 
     information about exposures during pregnancy and the period 
     of breastfeeding, because it is an important way of helping 
     to decrease the incidence of birth defects and improve infant 
     health. Unfortunately, studies show that up to half of 
     pregnant women are not counseled by their health care 
     providers about the potential teratogenic effects of 
     prescription drugs that they are taking. Pregnancy risk 
     information services can help to address the problem by 
     making available to women information about the potential 
     impact of exposure to medication, illnesses of others, and 
     environmental agents that can affect the developing fetus and 
     infant.
       Thank you for your leadership on this very important issue, 
     Representative DeLauro, we look forward to working with you 
     on this and other issues central to the health and wellbeing 
     of children in communities across the nation and around the 
     world.
           Sincerely,
                                              Dr. Marina L. Weiss,
     Senior Vice President.
                                  ____

                                         University of Connecticut


                                                Health Center,

                                       West Hartford, Connecticut.
     Hon. Rosa DeLauro,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Ms. DeLauro: As the coordinator of the Connecticut 
     Pregnancy Exposure Information Service, I want to express my 
     deep appreciation for your willingness to introduce 
     legislation that would establish a program to fund pregnancy 
     risk information services such as ours. As you know, over the 
     past decade, more than half of the state services across the 
     country have closed due to state budget constraints, and 
     those remaining have experienced severe cuts. We simply are 
     not able to reach all the women who need counseling on 
     exposures that may pose a risk to healthy pregnancies. 
     Without a Federal program to support pregnancy risk 
     information services, it is unclear if we can continue to 
     operate. Pregnant women and their health care providers NEED 
     INFORMATION about exposures that pose a risk to pregnancy or 
     breastfeeding infants. Thank you for recognizing this need 
     and for introducing legislation to assure that we can 
     continue to serve the public.
       I am an officer of the Organization of Teratology 
     Information Specialists and would welcome the opportunity to 
     meet with you briefly in New Haven and take a photo with you 
     for our newsletter.
       Again, thank you so very much for your leadership on this 
     important issue.
           Sincerely,
                                             Sharon Voyer Lavigne.

[[Page E1011]]

     
                                  ____
                                     Spina Bifida Association,

                                                      May 3, 2010.
     Hon. Rosa DeLauro,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative DeLauro: On behalf of the Spina Bifida 
     Association (SBA), the only national voluntary health 
     organization working on behalf of the estimated 166,000 
     individuals who live with all forms of Spina Bifida and their 
     families, I am writing to express our appreciation to you for 
     introducing the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction and 
     Awareness Act of 2010. This legislation will provide much-
     needed support to pregnancy risk information services, which 
     play a crucial role in educating women on how to reduce the 
     risk of preventable birth defects, including Spina Bifida.
       One of the primary goals of SBA is to increase awareness of 
     the importance of folic acid consumption among the 65 million 
     women in the United States of child-bearing age. The risk of 
     Spina Bifida and other serious birth defects can be reduced 
     by up to 70%, if women of childbearing age consume 400 
     micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid (a B-vitamin) every day. 
     Grants funded under the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk 
     Reduction and Awareness Act of 2010 will help ensure that 
     women who are considering becoming pregnant have access to 
     information on the importance of folic acid supplementation, 
     as well as other key steps they can take to ensure a healthy 
     pregnancy.
       SBA thanks you for recognizing the importance of pregnancy 
     risk information services. If we can be of any assistance, 
     please feel free to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Cindy Brownstein,
     President and Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____

                                      American Academy of Allergy,


                                          Asthma & Immunology,

     Hon. Rosa DeLauro,
     Hon. Michael Burgess,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Ms. DeLauro and Mr. Burgess: On behalf of the American 
     Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, I write to 
     express strong support for legislation you will introduce to 
     fund the national network of pregnancy risk information 
     services that are currently severely underfunded. These 
     services counsel pregnant and breast-feeding women on 
     exposures to medications, chemicals, infections, and other 
     risks to healthy pregnancy and healthy infants.
       A pregnant or breast-feeding woman lives in fear of any 
     exposure that might pose a risk to her pregnancy or her baby. 
     This is because of the paucity of information on the impact 
     of exposures to medications, chemicals, infections and 
     illnesses during pregnancy and nursing. Some exposures can be 
     avoided, but for women with chronic diseases such as asthma, 
     epilepsy, hypertension, or depression, continued use of 
     medication may be essential to the health of both the woman 
     and her infant. Asthma affects about 8% of pregnant women--
     over 300,000 women per year. Some women simply discontinue 
     their asthma medications during pregnancy out of fear of a 
     potential birth defect. However, uncontrolled asthma may pose 
     a greater risk of complicating the pregnancy. Our 
     organization has initiated a major study of asthma drugs in 
     pregnancy in collaboration with the nation's pregnancy risk 
     information services. This study simply could not be done 
     without the resources available through these services. 
     Unfortunately, more than half of the pregnancy risk 
     information services in the country have closed over the past 
     decade, and those that remain have sustained severe funding 
     cuts. The legislation you are introducing will increase 
     support for these important programs and assure that the 
     vitally important counseling and research services they 
     provide can be reinvigorated.
       The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology is 
     the largest professional medical specialty organization in 
     the United States representing allergists, asthma 
     specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health 
     professionals, and others dedicated to improving the 
     treatment of allergic diseases through research and 
     education. We thank you for your leadership in support of 
     prevention and research related to birth defects and are 
     pleased to offer the Academy's support for your legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                Mark Ballow, M.D.,
     President.

                          ____________________