Letter to the Editor

Help educate others about the NY Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill. Send the below letter to your local newspaper's Letter to the Editor. When your letter is published, let us know - Email Us.

2,000 babies die in New York State each year.
On this day, and everyday, more than 70 new parents will have listened to their stillborn baby’s silence. Births not acknowledged by the state.

The car seat is empty; the nursery remains unused; family and friends say both hello and goodbye to the baby during the funeral. Families are left with few memories and the question of “Why?“.

Stillbirth is the leading cause of infant death, with nearly 30,000 stillborn babies in the US -- and 2,000 in New York State -- every year. Typically, the medical causes are unknown. In 2001, the U.S. National Institute of Health awarded only $442,000, or $3.32 per stillborn infant, for stillbirth research. The reasons for this lack of funding is unclear.

There is a state bill that can increase awareness of the tragedy of Stillbirth: Bill A8960 / S186a. The bill does not change current NYS Public Health Law; it simply gives parents the option to request a certificate to acknowledge childbirth. The passage of this legislation can have a positive impact on a grieving family while increasing the nation’s awareness of stillbirth.

Write to your NY Senate and Assembly members. Ask them to support this bill. Ignoring this tragedy will not prevent it from occurring; if we do nothing, nearly 30,000 babies will be stillborn again this year. Support the New York Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill. Your support will make a difference.

Visit www.CBRSbill.blogspot.com.
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