Companion legislation was passed earlier by the Senate, meaning the bill now goes to President Clinton for signature. More than 150,000 babies each year are affected by one of the more than 3,000 different birth defects, according to the March of Dimes.
Birth defects are the leading cause of infant death and a major cause of disability in young people.
The legislation will create a clearinghouse for birth defects information at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Lauren Clark of Abilene, past president of the Big Country March of Dimes board of directors, was one of the volunteers lobbying for the measure last September in Washington. It also paves the way for creation of regional centers to conduct research on birth defects and increases funding for birth defect awareness and prevention programs. Thirty-three children were born with unexplained birth defects in 1990 and 1991 in Cameron County, a rate three times higher than the national average. Most were diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which babies are born with undeveloped brains.