Title
To declare September to be Infant Mortality Awareness Month in Columbus, and to commend Maryhaven Women's Center for helping to address infant mortality in our community.
Body
WHEREAS, September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month, and maternal drug abuse is a risk factor in the three leading causes of infant death; and
WHEREAS, the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that substance-abusing women have a 60% greater rate of infant mortality and 250% greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrone; and
WHEREAS, early in 2011, media and hospital sources began reporting that Central Ohio was experiencing an epidemic of low-birth-weight, addicted newborns; and
WHEREAS, in 2011, in response to the epidemic, Maryhaven launched its Women's Center Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Campaign to help expectant mothers deliver healthy and drug-free babies; and
WHEREAS, the Maryhaven Women's Center helps women and families to restore their lives from addiction and mental illness, and expectant mothers are prioritized for admission to help them deliver their babies healthy and drug-free, through Maryhaven's partnership with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, last year alone, the Maryhaven Women's Center helped all twenty addicted, expectant mothers who were admitted deliver healthy, drug-free babies; and
WHEREAS, the Women's Center's capacity was increased from twenty-nine to thirty-four beds in April 2012, and the fifteen babies born healthy and drug-free between January 1st and July 30th of this year were delivered to mothers working hard in their recovery to provide a better life for themselves and their children; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby declare September to be Infant Mortality Awareness Month in Columbus, and commends Maryhaven Women's Center for helping to address infant mortality in our community.