DeLauro, Hagan Introduce Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act

Statement

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) and Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) introduced the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act today. This legislation will help to provide information to pregnant and breast-feeding women about the potential impacts of medications, chemical exposures, foodborne illness and other exposures on their infants.

Over 70,000 women and health care providers across the country seek answers to important questions from pregnancy risk information services (PRISs) each year. Currently, the federal government does not provide these services nor offer equivalent personalized services--and as a result, over the last decade, more than half of these services have closed due to lack of funding. This legislation will authorize grant funding for these critical information services and help women get answers to their critical questions about drug safety, chemical exposures, and other potential risks to their pregnancies and children.

"Research has shown that up to half of pregnant women are not aware of the potential risks of medications they may be taking-- and the programs that provide this information to individuals and their health care providers are becoming scarcer. Expectant and breast-feeding mothers should be able to have access to the information they need to keep their children safe. This legislation will help to ensure that they will be able to obtain important facts about the risks of medication, illnesses and other potential dangers during pregnancy and breastfeeding," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Our children's wellbeing is a critical issue, and simply providing information such as this will help to keep them safe."

"Many birth defects can be prevented if we simply give women the information they need," said Hagan, a member of the committee with jurisdiction over health care. "This bill will give women more resources -- and the result will be healthier babies. I am committed to working with my colleagues across the aisle to pass this legislation, which will help save lives."

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