Directs the department of health to collect and maintain information on premature births and underweight neonates

3 Co-sponsors

• John A. DeFrancisco
• Thomas P. Morahan
• Dale M. Volker

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the department of health to collect data on premature and underweight neonates and establishing a perinatal advisory council

Purpose

This bill will enlist knowledgeable professionals with a history and expertise in prematurity and neonatology, to analyze, report and make recommendations to reduce the number of premature and low birth weight neonates and to improve their care.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 of the bill creates a new section in public health law section 2507. paragraph (1) of the section requires the department of health to collect and maintain certain data on premature and underweight neonates, including circumstances and type of birth, as well as maternal and neonate health factors and conditions. paragraph (2) establishes the perinatal Advisory Council to be the oversight body for neonatal care in the State of New York. This paragraph further identifies the size and make-up of the council, the qualifications for membership, and the manner of appointment. paragraph (3) provides that the Department of Health shall provide the perinatal Advisory council access to all data collected pursuant to this section, as well as data collected from the Statewide perinatal system pursuant to section 2500-H, and the statewide planning and Research cooperative system pursuant to section 2816. The council is directed to meet at least quarterly in order to analyze and produce a written report on the data described above. Such analysis and report must include, at a minimum, regional analysis, recommendations for actions to minimize the number of premature births and underweight neonates, recommendations for quality assurance measures, and recommendations for establishing standards of risk for the transfer of neonates to regional Neonatal Care Centers. The Department would be required to publish a copy of this annual report on its website.

Section 2 of the bill amends paragraph (1) of section 2500-H of the public health law in order to authorize the Department to release the data collected under that section to the perinatal Advisory council.

Section 3 sets the effective date.

Existing law

Existing public health law makes no specific provision for the study of premature and underweight neonates.

Justification

The human and financial costs to the state for the care of premature and low birth weight neonates is immense. Several conditions have been associated with low birth weight and prematurity, including cerebral palsy, blindness and even death. In 2001, $13.6 billion of the total $29.3 billion spent on babies was attributable to babies with diagnosis of prematurity. The number of premature births continues to grow. The percentage of babies born preterm has increased more than 20% since 1990. In 2004, nearly 30,000 babies were born preterm in New York State. While New York practitioners take pride in providing state of the art perinatal and neonatal health care, it is important to take steps to continually improve upon the manner in which health care is delivered to our most vulnerable.

Legislative history

2003/2004 - S.7060 2005/2006 - S.3493 2007/2008 - S.7755 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : To be determined.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediately.