Political Quotes

“I would like to speak about the issue of babies born prematurely, an area Senator Dodd and I have been working on together for many years. November is Prematurity Awareness Month and today, November 17, is Prematurity Awareness Day. This year, in the U.S., approximately 28,000 babies will die before their first birthday. In Tennessee, 236 babies are born preterm per week on average, and, in 2007, 12,256 babies or 14.2 percent of all live births were premature. According to the CDC, babies who died from preterm birth-related causes accounted for more than 36 percent of infant deaths in 2006. In addition to being the leading cause of newborn death, prematurity can cause those who do survive a lifetime of health challenges and intellectual disabilities. Even infants born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. The last few weeks of pregnancy are critical to a baby's health because many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until then. We are making incredible advances in how we treat these children, but we need to do a lot more. This is a critically important issue. It is the kind of issue that deserves more attention. I am pleased to be joined by Senator Dodd in introducing the PREEMIE Act, which reauthorizes and builds upon our legislation from 2006.”