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Week Ending August 4, 2006

S.707 A bill to reduce preterm labor and delivery and the risk of pregnancy-related deaths and complications due to pregnancy, and to reduce infant mortality caused by prematurity.

The bill establishes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network and the Neonatal Research Units Network. The new networks are in response to this bills directive to expand NIH research on preterm labor and delivery, infant mortality and infant low birth weight.

A study would be authorized to determine the relationship between prematurity, birth defects and developmental disabilities and review the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey. Environmental influences on children’s health and development that would consider the impact of pregnancy technologies would be looked into including the health and economic impacts of premature birth.

Projects to support the information needs and emotional needs of families with an infant in neonatal intensive care and for the infant’s transition to home

Sponsor: Senator Lamar Alexander (TN)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent August 1, 2006. Passed House by voice vote December 9, 2006

Cost to the taxpayers: “S. 707 would authorize the appropriation of $19 million in 2007 and $18 million a year for 2008 through 2011 to fund research and activities designed to reduce the rates of preterm labor and delivery and to reduce infant mortality and disabilities associated with prematurity. For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 707 will be enacted near the start of fiscal year 2007 and that the authorized amounts will be appropriated for each year. Using historical patterns of spending for similar programs, CBO estimates that the costs of the bill would be $8 million in 2007 and $76 million over the 2007-2011 period.”

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