HR1336 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1336 LRB097 23649 MST 72719 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives urges the United States Congress to pass Congressional Bill S.3396 for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is a birth defect; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia has a rate of occurrence of 1 in every 2500 babies; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia affects approximately 1800 babies each year in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully form, allowing abdominal organs to migrate into the chest cavity and preventing lung growth; and

WHEREAS, The majority of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia patients have underdeveloped lungs and or poor pulmonary function; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia patients often endure long-term complications such as pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary hypoplasia, asthma, gastrointestinal reflex, feeding disorders, and developmental delays; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia survivors sometimes endure long-term mechanical ventilation dependency, skeletal malformations, supplemental oxygen dependency, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and hypoxic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia has a survival rate of 50%; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia has affected over 600,000 babies worldwide since the year 2000; and

WHEREAS, Babies born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia endure extended hospital stays in intensive care with multiple surgeries; the extended hospital stays in some cases have exceeded one year; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is as common as Spina Bifida and Cystic Fibrosis; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is diagnosed in utero in only 75% of cases; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is treated through mechanical ventilation, heart and lung bypass (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machines, and surgical repair; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia surgical repair is often outgrown thus leading to reherniation and requiring additional surgery; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia does not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, economic status, or lack of prenatal care; and

WHEREAS, The cause of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is unknown; and

WHEREAS, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia takes more lives in the average year in the United States than lightening strikes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods combined; and

WHEREAS, The average hospital bill per Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia patient is $500,000; and

WHEREAS, The estimated total annual economic impact of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia in the United States is in excess of $800,000,000; and

WHEREAS, Annual federal support for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia research at the National Institutes of Health is currently estimated at less than $5,000,000; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to pass S.3396 to expand the funds available for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois Congressional Delegation.