Recognizing National Spina Bifida Month

Floor Speech

RECOGNIZING NATIONAL SPINA BIFIDA MONTH -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 31, 2007)

SPEECH OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2007

* Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, as Co-Chair of the Congressional Spina Bifida Caucus I rise today to recognize October as National Spina Bifida Month. Currently, more than 70,000 people in the United States live with Spina Bifida, the Nation's most common permanently disabling birth defect. Each October we honor these Americans during National Spina Bifida Month, but we must be steadfast in our efforts year round to prevent and reduce suffering from this devastating birth defect.

* Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy when the spinal column does not close completely. An average of eight babies a day are born with Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. Currently, approximately 3,000 pregnancies each year are affected by Spina Bifida; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimates that up to 70 percent of Spina Bifida and other neural tube defects could be prevented if all women of childbearing age consumed 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, prior to becoming pregnant.

* Fortunately, the CDC's National Spina Bifida Program--which I helped to create with my colleague and caucus co-chair Representative BART STUPAK--plays a critical role in addressing both sides of the Spina Bifida equation--preventing the birth defect and providing support and quality-of-life enhancement for people living with it. I am proud that the National Spina Bifida Program--in its more than 4 years of existence--is making a significant difference in the lives of people with Spina Bifida. Now patients, parents, health professionals, and caregivers have the information and resources they need to ensure that quality-of-life is maximized for all who live with this condition and that we are doing our best to reduce the number of Spina Bifida affected pregnancies through education and awareness of women about the importance of their consumption of folic acid prior to becoming pregnant.

* I want to express my deep gratitude to my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee who allocated $5.535 million for the National Spina Bifida Program in the FY 2008 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, LHHS, bill. As members of the House and Senate LHHS Subcommittees work to reconcile the differences between their hills, I urge my colleagues to cede to the House allocation and help ensure that the National Spina Bifida Program receives adequate funding in the final FY 2008 LHHS measure so it can sustain and expand its important initiatives.

* In addition, I hope my colleagues will support the report language from the Senate FY 2008 Agriculture Appropriations measure which urges the FDA to review--and hopefully expand--current folic acid fortification standards so that we can continue to make strides in reducing the number of preventable neural tube defects.

* Lastly, I wish to thank the Spina Bifida Association, SBA, for playing a critical role in helping those living with and affected by this debilitating birth defect. Founded in 1973, SBA is the nation's only organization solely dedicated to advocating on behalf of the Spina Bifida community. Through its nearly 60 chapters in more than 125 communities, the SBA brings expectant parents together with those who have a child with Spina Bifida. This interaction helps to answer questions and concerns, but most importantly it lends much needed support and provides hope and inspiration.

* I thank the SBA for its partnership and its commitment to ensuring that we are doing all that we can to reduce and prevent suffering from Spina Bifida. I encourage my colleagues to join with me in recognizing October as National Spina Bifida Month and in educating our constituents about the importance of folic acid consumption among women of child-bearing age. Together, with the SBA, we can help prevent Spina Bifida.

Source