04/18/1997 09:05 AM Senate HES

                                                                               
        SB 117 INFANT CARE CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS                       
                                                                              
 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  called the Senate Health, Education & Social                
 Services Committee (HES) to order at 9:05 a.m. and introduced                 
 SB 117  as the first order of business before the committee.                  
                                                                               
  SENATOR DONLEY , Prime Sponsor, said that SB 117 adds the language           
 "including infant care" to the suggested health curriculum for                
 Alaska's public school system.  Senator Donley pointed out that the           
 committee packets included a chart which illustrates why Alaska               
 needs better infant care.  The chart shows that Alaska has the                
 fewest low weight births, the best early prenatal care, and the               
 fewest births by mothers under 18 years of age.  However, the chart           
 shows that Alaska has the highest rate of infant mortality, infants           
 three months to one year, in the nation.  This data indicates that            
 something is going wrong during the three months to one year time             
 period.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Senator Donley hoped that health classes in the public schools                
 could educate students on caring for a baby.  For example,                    
 informing the students of SIDS and the need for a baby to sleep on            
 its back not its stomach.  The class could educate students in the            
 proper way to hold and feed a baby.  The class could provide                  
 general information that everyone should learn because not only the           
 mother will be taking care of the baby.                                       
   In response to Chairman Wilken,  SENATOR DONLEY  explained that the         
 initial data came from the University of Washington, but his staff            
 has spent much time compiling the data.                                       
                                                                               
 Number 087                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  pointed out that the sponsor statement refers to            
 requiring infant care, but this would be voluntary.   SENATOR DONLEY          
 clarified that SB 117 would only add infant care to those suggested           
 for education under the existing law.                                         
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  noted that SB 117 has a zero fiscal note.                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR WARD  asked if any school system has a curriculum that               
 includes infant care in its health curriculum.   SENATOR DONLEY  had          
 not checked every school district in Alaska, but the Anchorage                
 School District does not.  Senator Donley informed the committee              
 that the Anchorage School District just performed a review of the             
 health care curriculum, but no one brought forth this issue.                  
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  said that he had discussed this with a Fairbanks'           
 School Board member who indicated that the Fairbanks' School Board            
 had discussed such curriculum.  This member believed that SB 117              
 would encourage further discussion of the issue.                              
                                                                               
  SENATOR GREEN  moved to report SB 117 out of committee with                  
 individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.             
 Without objection, it was so ordered.