07-R175
2007 -- H 6271
Enacted 04/10/07
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
OBSERVING THE WEEK OF APRIL 15-21, 2007 AS "NATIONAL SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By:
Representatives Giannini, Mattiello, Ucci, Baldelli-Hunt, and Kilmartin
Date Introduced: April 10,
2007
WHEREAS,
The month of April was designated “National Child Abuse Prevention
Month”
as an annual tradition that was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy
Carter; and
WHEREAS,
The most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System figures
reveal
that almost 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United
States in
2002,
causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable citizens; and
WHEREAS,
Among the children who are victims of abuse and neglect, nearly 4 children
die
in the United States each day; and
WHEREAS,
Children aged 1 year or younger accounted for 41.2 percent of all child
abuse
and neglect fatalities in 2002; and
WHEREAS,
Abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as “Shaken Baby
Syndrome”,
is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children; and
WHEREAS,
Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis,
seizures,
or death; and
WHEREAS,
A 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated
that,
in the United States, an average of 300 children, of whom 2/3 will be babies or
infants under
1
year of age, will die each year, and 600 to 1,200 more will be injured as a
result of Shaken Baby
Syndrome,
with many cases resulting in severe and permanent disabilities; and
WHEREAS,
Medical professionals believe that thousands of additional cases of Shaken
Baby
Syndrome are being misdiagnosed or are not detected; and
WHEREAS,
The most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby Syndrome is to prevent
the
abuse, and it is clear that the minimal costs of education and prevention
programs may
prevent
enormous medical and disability costs and immeasurable amounts of grief for
many
families;
and
WHEREAS,
Prevention programs have demonstrated that educating new parents about
the
danger of shaking young children and how they can help protect their child from
injury can
bring
about a significant reduction in the number of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome;
and
WHEREAS,
Education programs have been shown to raise awareness and provide
critically
important information about Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers,
daycare
workers,
child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health care
professionals, and
legal
representatives; and
WHEREAS,
Efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are supported by advocacy
groups
across the United States that were formed by parents and relatives of children
who have
been
killed or injured by shaking, including the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the
Shaken
Baby
Association, the Shaking Kill: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember
Initiative
(commonly
known as the “Skipper Initiative”), the Shaken Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby
Prevention,
Inc., A Voice for Gabbi, Don’t Shake Jake, the Kierra Harrison Foundation, and
the
Hannah
Rose Foundation, whose mission is to educate the families of the victims in the
health
care
and criminal justice systems; and
WHEREAS,
Child abuse prevention programs and “National Shaken Baby Syndrome
Awareness
Week” are supported by the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National Center
on
Shaken
Baby Syndrome, the Children’s Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
the
Child
Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Child
Abuse
Coalition,
the National Exchange Club Foundation, the American Humane Association, the
American
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, the Arc of the United States,
the
Association
of University Centers on Disabilities, Children’s Healthcare is a legal Duty,
Family
Partnership,
Family Voices, National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds,
United
Cerebral
Palsy, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and related
institutions, Never
Shake
a Baby Arizona, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, the Center for Child Protection
and Family
Support,
and many other organizations; and
WHEREAS,
A 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse America shows that approximately
half
of all citizens of the United States believe that, of all the public health
issues facing the
United
States, child abuse and neglect is the most important issue; now therefore be
it
RESOLVED,
That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence
Plantations hereby observes the third week of April, 2007 as “National Shaken
Baby
Syndrome
Awareness Week” in the State of Rhode Island; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House commends those hospitals, child care councils, schools,
and
other organizations that are working to increase awareness of the danger of
shaking young
children;
educating parents and caregivers on how they can help protect children from
injuries
caused
by abusive shaking; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House encourages the citizens of Rhode Island to remember the
victims
of Shaken Baby Syndrome and participate in educational programs to help prevent
Shaken
Baby Syndrome; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the National Shaken Baby Coalition.
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LC01324
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