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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 19
BY SENATORS PETERSON, ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL,
BROOME, BROWN, BUFFI NGTON, CHABERT, CL AITOR,
CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY,
GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH,
MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, RISER, GARY SMITH,
JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND
WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVES LEGER AND MORENO
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To recognize March 15, 2012 as Text4baby Day at the Louisiana Legislature.
WHEREAS, despite decades of public health outreach and education, more than
500,000 babies are born prematurely, and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first
birthday each year in the United States; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, 65,268 babies were born in Louisiana, and unfortunately,
15.4% of these births were pre-term, 10.8% of babies were born at a low birth weight, and
9.2 babies per 1,000 died before their first birthday, while nationally, 12.3% of births were
pre-term, 8.2% of babies were born at a low birth weight, and 6.8 per 1,000 babies died
before their first birthday; and
WHEREAS, in Louisiana in 2010, 22% of women of childbearing age (eighteen to
forty-four years) reported smoking, compared to 17.6% of women overall in the United
States; furthermore, in 2009, 25.1% of men in Louisiana reported smoking, compared to
19.6% of men overall in the United States; also in 2010, 28.7% of women between the ages
of eighteen and forty-four in Louisiana were obese, compared to 25.1% of women overall
in the United States; and smoking and obesity are risk factors for adverse birth outcomes,
including prematurity; and
WHEREAS, many factors cause these negative outcomes, including health care
access, poverty, and negative health behaviors, but research supports that increasing
knowledge about health can help people stay healthier; and
WHEREAS, to help more pregnant women and new moms get information about
caring for their health and giving their babies the best possible start in life, the National
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) launched text4baby, the first free SCR NO. 19 ENROLLED
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health text messaging service in the United States, and text4baby supports moms by
providing accurate, text-length health information and resources in a format that is personal
and timely, using a channel mothers know and use as over 85% of Americans own a cell
phone and 72% of cell users send or receive text messages; and
WHEREAS, registration is easy and can be done online or from a cell phone by
texting the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411; and
WHEREAS, once registered, a woman will start receiving free messages with tips
for pregnancy or caring for a baby; and
WHEREAS, text4baby messages are timed to the woman's due date or the baby's
birth date; and
WHEREAS, the CTIA-The Wireless Foundation and participating mobile operators
is recognized and commended for their support as all messages received from text4baby are
free, and Johnson & Johnson is recognized as the founding sponsor of text4baby.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
recognize March 15, 2012 as Text4baby Day at the Louisiana Legislature.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES