PREEMIE Act

The PREEMIE Act (H.R. 2861) is a bipartisan bill designed to reduce infant mortality and health complications by expanding federal research and education on preterm births. If enacted, the bill would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to intensify their study of the causes of premature labor and the long-term developmental impacts on infants.

For families and health professionals, the bill aims to provide better clinical support and information. It directs the government to:

Improve Medical Care:* Establish specialized research networks to improve treatments for mothers and newborns in intensive care.

Support Families:* Create programs to help families manage the emotional and informational challenges of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay or the loss of a newborn.

Public Education:* Launch a national campaign to inform the public and healthcare providers about risk factors and prevention strategies for low birthweight and early delivery.

While this specific version of the bill was introduced in 2005, its core provisions were later incorporated into a Senate version (S. 707) that was signed into law in 2006, establishing a long-term federal commitment to addressing prematurity.