By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Approximately one of every 1,000 newborns in the United States is affected by spina bifida, a serious and often debilitating neurological disorder. Spina bifida occurs when a baby's spinal cord develops abnormally while he or she is still in the womb, resulting in nerve damage that can lead to muscle paralysis, loss of sensation in the lower limbs, and bowel and bladder complications. The disorder is often accompanied by hydrocephalus, an excessive and potentially dangerous accumulation of fluid within the brain. While in the past the prognosis was grim for children with spina bifida, currently some 80-90 percent of affected children survive the disorder, thanks to advances in surgery and other forms of intervention and treatment. Heartened by the progress that we have made thus far, our nation remains firmly committed to the fight against spina bifida.
Through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Federal Government is working to find better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for spina bifida. Government researchers have been joined in their efforts by physicians and scientists throughout the private sector and by a number of voluntary health associations. In addition to supporting basic and clinical research, many of these associations also work to promote public awareness of spina bifida while providing assistance to patients and their families. This month, we recognize all of the dedicated professionals and volunteers who are striving to overcome spina bifida, and we reaffirm our support of their efforts.
The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 470, has designated September 1992 as "National Spina Bifida Awareness Month" and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.
Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 1992 as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 30 day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and sixteenth.
GEORGE BUSH
George Bush, Proclamation 6452—National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, 1992 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/268570