,,iv  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #hgg  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,novemb] #ag1 #bjbe   
,ms4 ,mc,clellan 7= h]self1 ,ms4 ,kelly 
( ,ill9ois1 ,mrs4 ,kiggans ( ,virg9ia1  
,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mrs4        
,mc,iver1 ,mr4 ,mc,garvey1 ,ms4         
,s*ak[sky1 ,mrs4 ,ramirez1 ,mr4 ,k5n$y (
 ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,cl>ke ( ,new ,york1  
,mr4 ,c>son1 ,mrs4 ,d+ell1 & ,ms4       
,williams ( ,georgia7 submitt$ ! foll[+ 
resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee
 on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce  ,,resolution     
,express+ support = ! designation (     
,prematurity ,aw>5ess ,mon?4  ,:]eas !  
,unit$ ,/ates is 9 ! mid/ ( a mat]nal & 
infant heal? crisis1 ) ne>ly e measure (
 ! heal? ( pregnant wom51 new mo!rs1 &  
infants liv+ 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates go+ 9 !  
wrong direction2 ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates 
rema9s "o ( ! mo/ dang]\s places to give
 bir? among high-income c\ntries1 & !re 
are unacceptable disp>ities 9 bir?      
outcomes = wom5 & infants ( color2      
,:]eas wom5 liv+ 9 mat]nity c>e des]ts &

 c\nties ) l[ access to c>e h poor]     
heal? be=e pregnancy1 receive less      
pr5atal c>e1 & exp]i5ce high] rates (   
pret]m bir?2 ,:]eas !re h be5 an excess 
( ov] #aj1jjj pret]m bir?s among ^? liv+
 9 mat]nity c>e des]ts & limit$ access  
c\nties 9 #bjba ?r\gh #bjbc2 ,:]eas1    
:ile o!r c\ntries h r$uc$ _! mat]nal    
mortality rates s9ce ! #aiijs1 ! ,unit$ 
,/ates mat]nal mortality rate cont9ues  
to be at unacceptable rates2 ,:]eas     
mat]nal heal? outcomes are gett+ worse &
 are driv5 by disp>ities1 ) ,black &    
,am]ican ,indian & ,alaska ,native wom5 
dy+ at ne>ly #c times ! rate ( ,:ite    
wom52 ,:]eas ! ,c5t]s = ,disease        
,control 7,,cdc7 /ates t #hj p]c5t (    
pregnancy-relat$ dea?s are prev5table2  
,:]eas ! numb] ( wom5 :o exp]i5ce       
pregnancy-relat$ complications 9 !      
,unit$ ,/ates is /eadily increas+1      
affect+ m ?an #ej1jjj wom5 p] ye>2      
,:]eas m ?an #cgj1jjj babies1 or #a 9   
#aj babies1 7 born pret]m 9 #bjbb1 &    
pret]m bir? rates are among ! highe/    

level s9ce #bjjg2 ,:]eas prematurity is 
! lead+ cause ( newborn dea? &          
disability among infants1 includ+       
intellectual & developm5tal delays1     
behavioral problems1 neurological       
disord]s1 *ronic respiratory problems1 &
 vision & he>+ impairm5t2 ,:]eas pret]m 
bir? acc\nts = #ce4h p]c5t ( infant     
dea?s 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2 ,:]eas pret]m  
bir?1 along ) l[ bir? weight babies1    
make up ! second lead+ cause ( infant   
dea?s aft] bir? defects2 ,:]eas mat]nal 
heal? outcomes are gett+ worse1 & ,black
 & ,native ,am]ican wom5 are #fb p]c5t m
 likely to h a pret]m bir?1 & _! babies 
are twice z likely to die z comp>$ to   
,:ite wom52 ,:]eas families ( pret]m    
infants (t5 face significant emotional &
 f9ancial burd5s due to ext5d$ neonatal 
int5sive c>e unit 7,,nicu7 /ays & ongo+ 
heal?c>e ne$s2 ,:]eas ! annual societal 
economic co/ ( pret]m bir? is an e/imat$
 #be1bjj1jjj1jjj2 ,:]eas pret]m bir? c  
be trigg]$ by multiple1 int]act+        
biologic & environm5tal factors2 ,:]eas 

pret]m bir?s c be prev5t$ ?r\gh fully   
/aff$ & fund$ inve/m5ts 9 rese>* &      
evid5ce-bas$ public heal? programs      
focus$ on r$uc+ risk factors1 improv+   
social det]m9ants ( heal?1 & elim9at+   
social & /ructural disp>ities2 ,:]eas   
families face s]i\s heal? risks & adv]se
 outcomes :ile ! heal? advocacy         
community fights = ! heal? ( all        
families by support+ rese>*1 lead+      
programs1 highlight+ & address+         
disp>ities1 & provid+ education &       
advocacy2 & ,:]eas ,novemb] #bjbe m>ks !
 #bbnd anniv]s>y ( ,prematurity ,aw>5ess
 ,mon?3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x ,t ! ,h\se (   
,repres5tatives--  7#a7 expresses       
support = ! designation ( ,prematurity  
,aw>5ess ,mon?2 &  7#b7 calls on ! p ( !
 ,unit$ ,/ates1 int]e/ gr\ps1 & affect$ 
p to--  7,a7 obs]ve ,prematurity        
,aw>5ess ,mon? ) appropriate ev5ts &    
activities2  7,b7 take an active role 9 
promot+ aw>5ess2 &  7,c7 enc\rage p>5ts 
& communities to support pret]m bir?    
prev5tion programs4