[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23068]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMEMORATING SPINA BIFIDA MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 18, 2005

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National 
Spina Bifida Awareness Month and to pay tribute to the more than 
250,000 Americans in the Spina Bifida Community. There are an estimated 
70,000 people in the United States who are currently living with Spina 
Bifida, the most common permanently disabling birth defect.
  The Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA) is an organization 
that has helped those affected by this debilitating disease for over 30 
years and is the Nation's only organization solely dedicated to 
advocating on behalf of the Spina Bifida community. With almost 60 
chapters in more than 125 communities, the SBAA brings families 
together to answer questions, voice concerns, and lend support to one 
another.
  Together the SBAA and various local SBA Florida chapters work 
tirelessly to help the families of those living with Spina Bifida meet 
the challenges and enjoy the rewards of raising their children. I would 
like to thank the local chapters of SBAA in my State of Florida for all 
they have done and all that they will continue to do. The chapters in 
my State are a partner in the SB Hurricane Emergency Life Support 
Program established by the SBAA to distribute vitally needed supplies 
and assistance to Spina Bifida victims of the hurricanes in the Gulf 
Coast.
  The exact cause of Spina Bifida is not known, but research has shown 
that if a woman takes 400 mcg of folic acid every day before she 
becomes pregnant, she reduces her risk of having a baby with Spina 
Bifida or another neural tube defect by as much as 70%. Although the 
exact cause remains unknown, genetics and environment are believed to 
play a role. Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that happens in the 
first month of pregnancy when the spinal column doesn't close 
completely. Every day, an average of 8 babies are affected by Spina 
Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine, contributing 
to the 3,000 babies born annually with the disease.
  With proper medical and family care people affected by Spina Bifida 
can live productive lives with the help of braces and/or a wheelchair. 
The key to a better life for Americans who live with Spina Bifida is 
research. Our goals are to develop new mechanisms for treatment, 
understanding and the prevention of Spina Bifida.
  I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Spina Bifida Caucus 
and hope that all of my colleagues will join me in working to spread 
awareness about this disease. I encourage you all to join the caucus so 
that together we can improve the quality of life of those living with 
Spina Bifida.
  I again wish to thank the SBAA and its chapters for all of their hard 
work to prevent and reduce suffering for those individuals living with 
Spina Bifida throughout this Nation. We all owe a great debt to the 
SBAA for what they have done.

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