[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL PEDIATRIC STROKE AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 468, which was submitted 
earlier today by Senator Blumenthal.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 468) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate with respect to childhood stroke and recognizing May 
     as ``National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 468) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 468

       Whereas a stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, 
     is an acute neurologic injury that occurs when the blood 
     supply to a part of the brain is interrupted by a clot in the 
     artery or a burst of the artery;
       Whereas a stroke is a medical emergency that can cause 
     permanent neurologic damage or even death if not promptly 
     diagnosed and treated;
       Whereas stroke occurs in approximately 1 out of every 4,000 
     live births, and the risk of stroke from birth through age 18 
     is nearly 11 out of every 100,000 children per year;
       Whereas an individual can have a stroke before birth;
       Whereas stroke is among the top 10 causes of death for 
     children in the United States;
       Whereas between 20 percent and 40 percent of children who 
     suffer a stroke die as a result;
       Whereas stroke recurs in 20 percent of children who have 
     experienced a stroke;
       Whereas the death rate for children who experience a stroke 
     before the age of 1 year is the highest out of all age 
     groups;
       Whereas the average time from onset of symptoms to 
     diagnosis of stroke is 24 hours, putting many affected 
     children outside the window of 3 hours for the most 
     successful treatment;
       Whereas between 50 and 85 percent of infants and children 
     who have a pediatric stroke will have serious, permanent 
     neurological disabilities, including paralysis, seizures, 
     speech and vision problems, and attention, learning, and 
     behavioral difficulties;
       Whereas those disabilities may require ongoing physical 
     therapy and surgeries;
       Whereas the permanent health concerns and treatments 
     resulting from strokes that occur during childhood and young 
     adulthood have a considerable impact on children, families, 
     and society;
       Whereas very little is known about the cause, treatment, 
     and prevention of pediatric stroke;
       Whereas medical research is the only means by which the 
     citizens of the United States can identify and develop 
     effective treatment and prevention strategies for pediatric 
     stroke; and
       Whereas early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric stroke 
     greatly improves the chances that the affected child will 
     recover and not experience a recurrence: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges May as ``National Pediatric Stroke 
     Awareness Month'';
       (2) urges the people of the United States to support the 
     efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations 
     that work to enhance public awareness of childhood stroke;
       (3) supports the work of the National Institutes of Health 
     in pursuit of medical progress on the matter of pediatric 
     stroke; and
       (4) urges continued coordination and cooperation between 
     government, researchers, families, and the public to improve 
     treatments and prognoses for children who suffer strokes.

                          ____________________