Rep. Byrum offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 333. 

            A resolution to declare November 2010 as National Prematurity Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

            Whereas, Prematurity has been increasing steadily and alarmingly over the past two decades; and

            Whereas, One out of eight babies is born prematurely in the United States; and

            Whereas, Many premature babies will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, facing weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); and

            Whereas, Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth and premature babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death.  These include lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems; and

            Whereas, Doctors have made marvelous advances in caring for babies born too small and too soon, we need to find out how to prevent preterm birth from happening in the first place; and

            Whereas, Women who have had a previous preterm birth, who are pregnant with twins, triplets or more, or women with certain uterine or cervical abnormalities are more at risk to have premature births, but that preterm labor and delivery can happen to any pregnant woman; and

            Whereas, Organizations, such as the March of Dimes, have worked tirelessly, through their Prematurity Campaign to raise public awareness of the problems of prematurity and to decrease the rate of preterm birth in the United States; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body

declare November 2010 as National Prematurity Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.