Bill > SJR14

Introduced Session

This resolution designates October of each year as "Spina Bifida Awareness Month" in New Jersey. Spina bifida is a neural tube birth defect in which an area of the spinal column does not form properly, leaving a section of the spinal cord and spinal nerves exposed through an opening in the back. Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord that happen in fetuses within the first month of pregnancy. Neural tube defects are linked to folic acid deficiency before and during pregnancy. Around 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida in the United States each year. The most recent New Jersey State Health Assessment Data on spina bifida reported that there are 152 New Jerseyans living with the medical condition. The severity of spina bifida can range from mild with no symptoms to severe with nerve damage. The exact cause of spina bifida is unknown. A combination of genetics and environmental factors is thought to be the main cause of the birth defect. Designating October of each year as "Spina Bifida Awareness Month" would provide New Jerseyans with an annual reminder on the effects that spina bifida has on individuals diagnosed with the birth defect.

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Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document