The Safe Baby Resolution

This is draft was co-written and co-sculpted by Janel Martin-Mirendah of Missouri and Star Newland of Hawaii and presented to the proposers of the resolution. It holds the bigger picture of what the Safe Baby Resolution proposes to create. It has been submitted to the offices of Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland and Representative Josh Green, MD. The resolution introduced in the 2007 will likely be a negotiated and modified version.

THE SAFE BABY RESOLUTION
WORKING DRAFT – 10-06

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BRANCH, TO STUDY THE ROLES OF GESTATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS, GENTLE BIRTHING PRACTICES, WELLNESS EDUCATION PROGRAMS, DOMESTIC HARMONY AWARENESS, APPROPRIATE AND SUFFICIENT TOUCH, AND THE SCIENCE OF HEALING BIRTH TRAUMA, AND THEIR CONNECTION TO PUBLIC POLICY CONCERNS THAT INCLUDE SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND OBESITY.

WHEREAS, in memory of Puna, Hawaii resident, Sarah Marie Faye, whose life, beauty, intelligence and passion were cut short as a victim of domestic violence, and whose yet to be born child was saved through heroic medical intervention, and for whom the Legislature shares in the public outcry for the need to educate, collaborate, and develop strategies for addressing the issue of domestic violence, especially against our expectant mothers, and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that deliberation of societal issues such as abuse of controlled substances, alcoholism and domestic violence and obesity are of serious public concern; and

WHEREAS, it is relatively well-known that wellness education improves responses to stress, which leads to the more healthy development and harmonious co-existence of family members; and

WHEREAS, it has been well-known and accepted that the health and well-being of a pregnant woman is linked to the health and well-being of her yet to be born child; and

WHEREAS, recently scientific findings in a variety of disciplines have converged into an emerging new understanding of the primal, developmental needs of the human being from conception through early infancy;

WHEREAS, it has been asserted that domestic harmony and caring during the prenatal period, birth, and in a newborn baby's domestic environment may lead to a propensity for that child to perpetuate domestic harmony in the future; and;

WHEREAS, it has been suggested that the environment and practices employed in the birth experience imprints the basic personality of the newborn child; and

WHEREAS, it has been suggested that appropriate and sufficient touch and human contact between an infant child and its caregivers is integral to that child's development; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that women have the right to choose to continue a pregnancy, the Legislature now recognizes that women have a right to their body during the birth,
including to be responsible for how they gestate their baby, and where and with whom they birth;

WHEREAS, the Legislature further recognizes the differences in the practice of obstetric medical care noting a rising incidence of surgical birth is correlated with increasing pre-term births and other long-term health conditions; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes the positive impact of the trained birth coaching professional, and in particular, the profession of "Doula", defined as a person trained and experienced in childbirth assistance, providing continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and soon after childbirth; and

WHEREAS, current scientific findings in brain research, cellular and neurobiology, physics, pre- and peri-natal psychology, and more, provide a foundation for theory, practice, and research of new technologies and techniques that exist to treat the impact of traumatic and violent physical and emotional issues during conception, gestation, and birth which are now known to contribute to drug addiction, violence, physical and emotional dysfunctions, including obesity; and now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Branch, is requested to study the roles of gestational environments, gentle birthing practices, wellness training and education, domestic harmony awareness, and appropriate and sufficient touch, and their connection to reduction of the abuse of controlled substances, alcoholism and domestic violence, and health issues such as obesity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Branch, is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature prior to twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Office of the Governor.