March of Dimes Launches 7th Annual Prematurity Awareness Month

November 4, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: Baby Health, Celebrity Baby News, News

The March of Dimes has launched its 7th Annual Prematurity Awareness Month, once again focusing our attention on the growing problem of premature birth in the United States. A birth is considered premature if it occurs before 37 weeks gestation.

The March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization in the United States focusing its attention on our nation’s babies. The March of Dimes web site provides extensive information for parents, professionals and researchers alike.

According to a report released by the March of Dimes in October, more than 13 million babies worldwide are born premature. More than one million die each year.

“Too many U.S. babies are born too soon each year and don’t live to celebrate their first birthday. This finding underscores the importance of supporting research to help us learn what causes preterm birth and how we can help give all babies a healthy start in life,” said Alan R. Fleischman, MD, medical director of the March of Dimes.

“No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child from prematurity.”

The infant death rate in the United States is significantly higher than Europe. More than 540,000 premature babies are born each year. The Institute of Medicine estimates that the premature births generate $26 billion in annual health care costs.

Premature birth is a leading cause of infant death. Babies who are born early often have many health challenges including breathing problems, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and others. Medical advances made through the efforts of the March of Dimes have led to millions of premature babies fighting for survival until they are able to go home with their parents and then grow into healthy adults with lives of purpose.

The 2009 Premature Birth Report Card will be released later this month grading our nation and individual states on their preterm birth rates. The report will also assess states’ progress on improving access to health care coverage for women of childbearing age, helping women quit smoking during pregnancy and preventing c-sections prior to 39 weeks of pregnancy. Improvement in these areas should lead to reduced preterm birth rates.

Please visit the March of Dimes to learn more about preventing premature birth and to show your support by starting a Baby Band in honor of, or in memory of, the premature babies in your family.