More than half a million babies are born too soon each year and thousands don’t live to celebrate their first birthday as a result.
November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and the March of Dimes launched a new web site – marchofdimes.com/fight – where people can learn more about the seriousness of premature birth and create a personalized plan of action to help. They can volunteer, donate, or create a virtual band to celebrate, honor or remember a baby in their life.
On November 17, the March of Dimes will mark the 8th annual Prematurity Awareness Day by issuing its 2010 Premature Birth Report Card, which grades the nation and the states on their preterm birth rates.
More than two-thirds of new or expectant moms do not know the correct definition of preterm birth, (less than 37 weeks gestation), and most have not discussed the risks and consequences of preterm birth with their healthcare provider, according to a survey by the March of Dimes and its partners.
Following three decades of increases, the nation achieved its first two- year decline in the preterm birth rate in 2008, a 4 percent drop from 2006. The preliminary preterm birth rate dropped to 12.3 percent in 2008, down from the 2006 final rate of 12.8 percent. The March of Dimes says 79 percent of the decline occurred among babies born just a few weeks too soon.
This improvement is modest, the March of Dimes says, and the fact remains that more than half a million babies are born preterm each year. Preterm birth is a serious health problem that costs the United States more than $26 billion annually. It is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities.
March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness Day® is sponsored by CIGNA, FedEx, Destination Maternity and Hologic. On Nov. 17, Farmers Insurance, a March of Dimes sponsor, is sponsoring a six-hour marathon of the Discovery Health series NICU, which shows the experiences of babies fighting for their lives in a newborn intensive care unit.
One in ten babies are born preterm in California and suffer the consequences of being born too soon. Awareness is the first step to solving this problem. March of Dimes will be celebrating “Days of Gratitude†, a day in which March of Dimes volunteers and staff honor hospital staff who work to help premature babies in local Neonatal Intensive Care Units every day.
For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.
