III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 586 

Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Infant Mortality 

Awareness Month, 2012. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 21), 2012 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. BURR, and Mr. MENENDEZ) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National 

Infant Mortality Awareness Month, 2012. 

Whereas the term ‘‘infant mortality’’ refers to the death of 

a baby before the first birthday of the baby; 

Whereas the United States ranks 49th among countries in 

the rate of infant mortality; 

Whereas high rates of infant mortality are especially prevalent in African American, Native American, Alaskan Native, Latino, Asian, and Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities, communities with high rates of unemployment and poverty, and communities with limited 

access to safe housing and medical providers; 

Whereas premature birth is a leading cause of infant mortality; 


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•SRES 586 ATS 

Whereas, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, premature birth costs the United 

States more than $26,000,000,000 annually; 

Whereas infant mortality can be substantially reduced 

through community-based services, such as outreach, 

home visitation, case management, health education, and 

interconceptional care; 

Whereas support for community-based programs to reduce infant mortality may result in lower future spending on 

medical interventions, special education, and other social 

services that may be needed for infants and children who 

are born with a low birth weight; 

Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services, acting through the Office of Minority Health, has implemented the ‘‘A Healthy Baby Begins With You’’ campaign; 

Whereas the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the 

Health Resources and Services Administration has provided national leadership on the issue of infant mortality; 

Whereas the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of 

Health and Human Services on reducing infant mortality 

and improving the health status of infants and pregnant 

women; 

Whereas the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of 

Health and Human Services with respect to developing a 

national strategy for reducing infant mortality; 

Whereas public awareness and education campaigns on infant 

mortality are held during the month of September each 

year; and 


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•SRES 586 ATS 

Whereas September 2012 has been designated as ‘‘National 

Infant Mortality Awareness Month’’: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports— 

3 (A) the goals and ideals of National Infant 

4 Mortality Awareness Month, 2012; 

5 (B) efforts to educate people in the United 

6 States about infant mortality and the factors 

7 that contribute to infant mortality; and 

8 (C) efforts to reduce infant deaths, low 

9 birth weight, pre-term births, and disparities in 

10 perinatal outcomes; 

11 (2) recognizes the critical importance of includ12 ing efforts to reduce infant mortality and the factors 

13 that contribute to infant mortality as part of preven14 tion and wellness strategies; and 

15 (3) calls on the people of the United States to 

16 observe National Infant Mortality Awareness Month 

17 with appropriate programs and activities. 

Æ 


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