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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 115 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 115

 Designating April 2015 as ``National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia 
                           Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 2015

   Mr. Sessions (for himself and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Designating April 2015 as ``National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia 
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas congenital diaphragmatic hernia (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``CDH'') occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully form, allowing 
        abdominal organs to migrate into the chest cavity and preventing lung 
        growth;
Whereas 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;
Whereas CDH patients often endure long-term complications, such as pulmonary 
        hypertension, pulmonary hypoplasia, asthma, gastrointestinal reflex, 
        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 3,800 live births worldwide;
Whereas CDH affects approximately 1,088 babies each year in the United States;
Whereas 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;
Whereas the average CDH survivor will face postnatal care of at least $100,000; 
        and
Whereas Federal support for CDH research at the National Institutes of Health 
        for 2014 is estimated to be not more than $2,500,000: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates April 2015 as ``National Congenital 
        Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month'';
            (2) encourages that steps should be taken to--
                    (A) raise awareness of and increase public 
                knowledge about congenital diaphragmatic hernia 
                (referred to in this resolution as ``CDH'');
                    (B) inform all Americans about the dangers of CDH, 
                especially those groups that may be disproportionately 
                affected by CDH or have lower survival rates;
                    (C) disseminate information on the importance of 
                quality neonatal care of CDH patients;
                    (D) promote quality prenatal care and ultrasounds 
                to detect CDH in utero; and
                    (E) support research funding of CDH to--
                            (i) improve screening and treatment for 
                        CDH;
                            (ii) discover the causes of CDH; and
                            (iii) develop a cure for CDH; and
            (3) calls on the people of the United States, interest 
        groups, and affected persons to--
                    (A) promote awareness of CDH;
                    (B) take an active role in the fight against this 
                devastating birth defect; and
                    (C) observe National Congenital Diaphragmatic 
                Hernia Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies and 
                activities.
                                 <all>
```