III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 408 

Designating April 2016 as ‘‘National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia 

Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 17, 2016 

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

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 2016 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 408 ATS 

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 3,836 

live births worldwide; 

Whereas in the United States, CDH affects approximately 

1,088 babies each year; 

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

babies worldwide; 

Whereas CDH does not discriminate based on race, gender, 

or socioeconomic status; 

Whereas the cause of CDH is unknown; 


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•SRES 408 ATS 

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 2015 is estimated to be not more 

than $3,300,000: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 2016 as ‘‘National Con3 genital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages that steps should be taken— 

5 (A) to raise awareness of and increase 

6 public knowledge about congenital diaphrag7 matic hernia (referred to in this resolving 

8 clause as ‘‘CDH’’); 

9 (B) to inform all people of the United 

10 States about the dangers of CDH, especially 

11 groups of people that may be disproportionately 

12 affected by CDH or have lower survival rates; 

13 (C) to disseminate information on the im14 portance of quality neonatal care of CDH pa15 tients; 

16 (D) to promote quality prenatal care and 

17 ultrasounds to detect CDH in utero; and 

18 (E) to support research funding of CDH— 

19 (i) to improve screening and treat20 ment for CDH; 


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•SRES 408 ATS 

1 (ii) to discover the causes of CDH; 

2 and 

3 (iii) to develop a cure for CDH; and 

4 (3) calls on the people of the United States, in5 terest groups, and affected persons— 

6 (A) to promote awareness of CDH; 

7 (B) to take an active role in the fight 

8 against this devastating birth defect; and 

9 (C) to observe National Congenital Dia10 phragmatic Hernia Awareness Month with ap11 propriate ceremonies and activities. 

Æ 


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