IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 236
Expressing support for the goals of a ‘‘NICU Baby’s Bill of Rights’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH21, 2025
Mrs. H
OUCHIN(for herself and Mr. MCGARVEY) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the goals of a ‘‘NICU Baby’s Bill
of Rights’’.
Whereas the United States continues to experience high rates
of infant prematurity, with over 380,000 babies born
preterm each year and thousands more full-term medi-
cally complex babies admitted to the neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU);
Whereas the preterm birth rate of Black babies is 50 percent
higher than that of White babies in the United States;
Whereas preterm birth is the leading cause of death among
children under the age of 1 year;
Whereas a baby born preterm or full-term with medical com-
plications is a significant driver of comorbidities, includ-
ing necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia,
cerebral palsy, brain injury, and retinopathy of pre-
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•HRES 236 IH
maturity, often resulting in lifelong complications or
death;
Whereas babies born prematurely or with severe medical com-
plications are most often cared for in neonatal intensive
care units (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘NICUs’’);
Whereas having a baby born preterm or full-term with med-
ical complexities is a traumatic experience, and NICU
families are often overwhelmed by their circumstances,
leaving them at high risk for a variety of mental health
concerns, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders;
Whereas NICU parents are often separated from their criti-
cally ill babies, bonding is interrupted, and this may have
significant negative impacts on the cognitive development
of the baby and the emotional and mental well-being of
the parents;
Whereas critically ill babies and their parents and family
caregivers benefit from skin-to-skin contact in terms of
increased breastfeeding rates, higher rates of emotional
attachment, enhanced neurodevelopmental outcomes, and
promotes confidence in caregiving;
Whereas, when NICU families are supported, outcomes im-
prove for babies and their families;
Whereas all families deserve family-centered care that is de-
velopmentally appropriate and supportive;
Whereas all NICU families deserve access to the individual-
ized support, education, and resources they need to thrive
during and after their NICU stay;
Whereas NICU families are often not fully informed or con-
sulted on questions of substance regarding their child’s
care, including treatment plans, the true health status of
their baby, and infant nutrition;
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Whereas, although studies have shown that human milk-
based nutrition is preferable, many families report being
unaware of the nutrition options available to their babies
including donor human milk and human milk-based nu-
trition; and
Whereas all NICU families have the right to informed con-
sent regarding all aspects of their child’s care: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) expresses support for the goals of a ‘‘NICU 2
Baby’s Bill of Rights’’ supporting the needs of neo-3
natal intensive care unit families and their babies; 4
(2) calls on health providers and other stake-5
holders to promote a family-centered approach to 6
neonatal intensive care unit care, including the 7
needs of babies as well as families to make the deci-8
sions that are right for them, including encouraging 9
parents to be integrated into the daily care of their 10
babies as much as possible; 11
(3) understands that parents are a neonatal in-12
tensive care unit baby’s best advocate, and asks hos-13
pitals to establish clear policies that prioritize paren-14
tal or primary caregiver presence, integration, and 15
collaboration, and involve family advocacy partners 16
in the creation and development of such policies 17
from the beginning of these discussions; 18
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(4) encourages hospitals to embrace an in-1
formed consent model for important care decisions 2
for all neonatal intensive care unit babies, including 3
treatment care plans and infant nutrition for all 4
neonatal intensive care unit babies, ensuring families 5
are fully informed of the risks and benefits of all 6
care options available, and empowering parents to 7
make informed decisions on behalf of their child; 8
(5) emphasizes the importance of a comprehen-9
sive discharge planning process that includes family 10
participation, ensuring the plan is tailored to the 11
needs of each individual baby and family; and 12
(6) underscores the importance of mental 13
health support for parents and family caregivers of 14
neonatal intensive care unit babies, including con-15
necting them to peer-to-peer support programs, sup-16
port groups, and counseling, whether in person or 17
virtual, to reduce the impact of perinatal mood and 18
anxiety disorders. 19
Æ
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