Underwood Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Infant Mortality
In 2019, the Healthy Start for Infants Program provided $4,990,000 to programs in Illinois to reduce infant mortality
WASHINGTON— Today, Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Tim Ryan (OH-13), Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16), and Steve Stivers (OH-15) introduced bipartisan legislation to combat infant mortality by investing in the Healthy Start for Infants Program. The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 4801) reauthorizes appropriations for this program for five years at $135 million annually. For every 1,000 live births in the United States, nearly six babies will not live to see their first birthday. According to the CDC, one in ten babies is born premature, the leading cause of infant death. The Healthy Start Program was established in 1991 to work to improve birth outcomes in communities with high rates of infant mortality and other complications. Infant mortality rates in Healthy Start programs are lower than the national average. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Burr (R-NC), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Senate companion.
"The care we provide for infants is a direct reflection of who we are as a country," said Rep. Underwood. "The bipartisan Healthy Start Reauthorization Act, which I'm proud to introduce with my colleagues Representatives Ryan, Gonzalez, and Stivers, is both a reauthorization of a crucial program that saves lives and a statement of our values: every baby in this country is worth our protection, investment, and care."
The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act is supported by the National Healthy Start Association, March of Dimes, American Academy of Pediatrics, First Focus Campaign for Children, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
The Healthy Start for Infants Program partners with community-based organizations, local health departments, and universities to provide early delivery of services to women and families before, during, and after pregnancy. This program uses proven strategies to reduce rates of many infant disorders, such as low birthweight, birth defects, preterm birth, and prenatal opioid exposure. In the long term, the cost of medical and social services provided to low birth weight infants and children born prematurely is exorbitant, costing taxpayers $26.2 billion per year. During the first year of life, expenses for the smallest surviving babies average $273,900. These costs, both monetary and the loss of a young life, can be avoided through the community-based support that the Healthy Start for Infants Program provides.