On September 25, the Senate passed the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act (S. 252) and a resolution supporting Infant Mortality Awareness Month (S. Res. 258).
PREEMIE Reauthorization Act
The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), would authorize $1.88 million annually for FY2014-2018 for ongoing research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including epidemiological studies to determine the factors that cause pre-terms births and pregnancy-related deaths or complications. In addition, the bill would authorize $1.9 million annually for FY2014-2018 for activities at the Health Resources and Services Administration. Such programs include telemedicine, case management services, and/or prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies.
The bill would allow the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an advisory committee on infant mortality. The committee would advise the secretary on HHS programs currently directed at “reducing infant mortality and improving the health status of pregnant women”; strategies to coordinate federal, state, and local programs that address infant mortality; implementation of the Healthy Start program; and overall strategies to reduce pre-term births.
The Senate approved the legislation by voice vote.
Infant Mortality Awareness Month
Sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), S. Res. 258 would designate September as Infant Mortality Awareness Month and call on the American public to learn more about the “factors that contribute to infant mortality,” as well as the efforts underway to “reduce infant deaths, low-birth weight, pre-term births, and disparities in perinatal outcomes.”
The Senate passed the resolution by unanimous consent.
