AL SJR39

Recognizes January 31 as the annual date for International Omphalocele Awareness Day in Alabama.

Commends the support group Mothers of Omphaloceles (MOO), which has approximately 2,000 members worldwide, for advocacy efforts on behalf of babies with omphaloceles.

Omphalocele is a birth defect occurring early in pregnancy when the abdominal wall does not close properly, with estimated occurrence rates of one in 5,000 pregnancies for small omphaloceles and one in 10,000 for giant omphaloceles.

Emphasizes that despite medical challenges, babies born with omphaloceles typically survive to lead healthy, fulfilling lives and that the condition is treatable.

Encourages increased awareness among families and medical personnel that omphalocele is not a death sentence and should not be presented as a reason for pregnancy termination.