THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	35
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

reQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLEFT LIP AND CLEFT PALATE center of excellence.

 

 

     WHEREAS, cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that affect the upper lip and roof of the mouth; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the March of Dimes Foundation, about 6,800 babies in the United States are born with oral-facial clefts each year; and

 

     WHEREAS, these oral-facial birth defects occur more often among people of Asian ancestry and certain groups of Native Americans; and  

 

     WHEREAS, the causes of these birth defects are not well understood, but research shows that these birth defects occur very early in fetal development; and

 

     WHEREAS, children who are born with a cleft lip or cleft palate typically experience feeding difficulties, frequent ear infections and hearing loss (which often resolves with treatment), speech difficulties, and dental problems; and

 

     WHEREAS, treatment options include surgery, usually conducted in several stages, to close the lip and palate, and the first surgery is typically performed during the child's first year; and

 

     WHEREAS, with treatment, most children with cleft lip or cleft palate do remarkably well with a full recovery, particularly if treatment is rendered soon after birth or in early childhood; and

 

     WHEREAS, the standard of care for children with cleft lip or cleft palate should include treatment by a team of specialists, including pediatricians, plastic surgeons, dental specialists, otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialist), speech-language specialists, audiologists (hearing specialists), and social workers, to ensure that all aspects of treatment are coordinated; and

 

     WHEREAS, more programs are needed to ensure that families with children suffering from cleft lip or cleft palate throughout Hawaii are provided with the resources and information needed to obtain optimum care for children with these birth defects; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the Department of Health, in partnership with local experts, is requested to create a Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Center of Excellence; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Center of Excellence should promote awareness of cleft lip and cleft palate birth defects and provide resources and information to families with children affected by these birth defects; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012 detailing strategies to establish the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Center of Excellence along with a discussion of the Department's statewide collaborative efforts to promote the Center throughout Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Center of Excellence; Department of Health