| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, is the most |
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| 9 | 7 | | common cause of death in hospitalized premature infants after two |
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| 10 | 8 | | weeks of age; and |
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| 11 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This life-threatening disease occurs when bacteria |
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| 12 | 10 | | attack the lining of the intestines, causing cellular destruction |
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| 13 | 11 | | in the small and large intestines; it almost exclusively affects |
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| 14 | 12 | | newborns, particularly those born prematurely, and mortality rates |
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| 15 | 13 | | range from 10 to 50 percent in most cases; and |
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| 16 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Diagnosing NEC is challenging, as symptoms are vague |
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| 17 | 15 | | and often attributable to other causes; severe cases may require |
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| 18 | 16 | | surgical intervention, and many of those who survive the disease |
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| 19 | 17 | | experience lifelong neurological and nutritional complications; |
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| 20 | 18 | | and |
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| 21 | 19 | | WHEREAS, The feeding of breast milk is one of the most |
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| 22 | 20 | | effective ways of preventing NEC in vulnerable infants, and when |
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| 23 | 21 | | the mother's milk is unavailable, pasteurized donor human milk is |
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| 24 | 22 | | the safest option for infants at risk of the disease; donated breast |
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| 25 | 23 | | milk has been critical to reducing the mortality rate, and |
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| 26 | 24 | | organizations such as the Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas and the |
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| 27 | 25 | | Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin are helping to ensure that babies have |
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| 28 | 26 | | access to the health benefits that breast milk provides; and |
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| 29 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Necrotizing enterocolitis poses a serious risk to |
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| 30 | 28 | | infants in their earliest weeks and months of life, and the |
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| 31 | 29 | | observance of Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Breastfeeding |
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| 32 | 30 | | Awareness Month serves as a means of educating the public about this |
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| 33 | 31 | | devastating illness and the importance of breastfeeding as a |
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| 34 | 32 | | preventative measure; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 36 | 34 | | hereby designate May as Necrotizing Enterocolitis and |
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| 37 | 35 | | Breastfeeding Awareness Month; and, be it further |
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| 38 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of |
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| 39 | 37 | | Section 391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in |
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| 40 | 38 | | effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is |
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| 41 | 39 | | finally passed by the legislature. |
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