III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 128 

Designating April 2017 as ‘‘National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia 

Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 7, 2017 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. STRANGE) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 2017 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; 


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•SRES 128 IS 

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 2,500 

live births worldwide; 

Whereas in the United States, CDH affects approximately 

1,600 babies each year; 

Whereas since 2000, CDH has affected more than 700,000 

babies worldwide since 2000; 

Whereas CDH does not discriminate based on race, gender, 

or socioeconomic status; 

Whereas the cause of CDH is unknown; 


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•SRES 128 IS 

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 2017 is estimated to be not more 

than $4,000,000: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 2017 as ‘‘National Con3 genital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages that steps should be taken to— 

5 (A) raise awareness of and increase public 

6 knowledge about congenital diaphragmatic her7 nia (referred to in this resolving clause as 

8 ‘‘CDH’’); 

9 (B) inform all Americans about the dan10 gers of CDH, especially groups of people that 

11 may be disproportionately affected by CDH or 

12 have lower survival rates; 

13 (C) disseminate information on the impor14 tance of quality neonatal care of CDH patients; 

15 (D) promote quality prenatal care and 

16 ultrasounds to detect CDH in utero; and 

17 (E) support research funding of CDH to— 

18 (i) improve screening and treatment 

19 for CDH; 

20 (ii) discover the causes of CDH; and 

21 (iii) develop a cure for CDH; and 


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•SRES 128 IS 

1 (3) calls on the people of the United States, in2 terest groups, and affected persons to— 

3 (A) promote awareness of CDH; 

4 (B) take an active role in the fight against 

5 this devastating birth defect; and 

6 (C) observe National Congenital Diaphrag7 matic Hernia Awareness Month with appro8 priate ceremonies and activities. 

Æ 


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