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Celebrities Come Out to Celebrate the March of Dimes 4th Annual Celebration of Babies

Celebrities and their families came out to celebrate the March of Dimes 4th Annual Celebration of Babies, which raises money to improve the health of babies and fund research for premature births.

It’s always nice to see when celebrities can come out and raise money for a good cause like the March of Dimes.  The March of Dimes Fourth annual Celebration of Babies took place at the Four Season Hotel in Beverly Hills on November 7, 2009.

Plenty of celebrities along with their little ones showed up to show support for the charity. Just some of the celebrities that attended were Kelllie Martin, Nicole Richie, Nicole Sullivan, Elizabeth Rohm, Alicia Coppola, Julie Bowen, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, and Hank Azaria More than 300 guests attended the event.

The guests were greeted with many different boutique shopping experiences from designer clothes and accessories to baby products and supplies. There was also a silent auction that took place for luxurious vacations and gifts. The auction’s proceeds went to the March of Dimes as all the items were donated by volunteers.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for the health of babies and pregnant women.   November is Prematurity Awareness Month, in which March of Dimes calls on everyone to help fight for the preemies. Premature death affects more than half a million babies a year in the U.S alone. It also affects approximately half a million babies in the UK as well.

Proceeds from the Celebration of Babies luncheon benefit goes to the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

         

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March of Dimes Launches 7th Annual Prematurity Awareness Month

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.

         

1 in 10 Babies Born Premature

The first attempt to measure the number of worldwide premature births has produced startling results, but many experts feel the true numbers are much higher.  Thirteen million babies worldwide are born premature.  Stated another way, one in ten of the world’s babies is born prematurely.  One million of those babies will die as a result of that prematurity.

The report released by the March of Dimes indicates the majority of the premature births occurs in Africa and Asia, but followed closely by North America.  This initial report is a collaborative effort with the World Health Organization, and it is expected the numbers will only rise when the WHO completes a more in-depth study next year reflecting country-by-country numbers.

The following factors could increase the risk of premature birth:

• Lack of proper prenatal care to be sure the expectant mother is getting proper nutrition and proper care for such conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure and infections;
• Smoking and alcohol use;
• Carrying twins or more; and
• Elective inductions and cesarean sections in wealthy nations.

Premature births occur when the baby is born before the completion of the 37th week of pregnancy.  These precious little lives often face a struggle with breathing problems, jaundice and developmental delays.  According to the March of Dimes, a small number of births occur in the United States before 32 weeks.  This group faces an even greater risk of developing complications which could result in death.

Although different factors seem to cause prematurity in wealthy countries and poor countries, a healthy outcome can often be achieved with early intervention, proper diet and treatment of underlying infections.  No matter what the economic circumstances are, the premature baby can be nestled skin-to-skin against the mother’s or the father’s bare, warm chest.  This life-saving practice, often called kangaroo care, can keep the infant’s body temperature stable.  In poor countries, this can replace expensive medical incubators which are not available.  In countries where medical equipment is available, kangaroo care is still practiced because it is so beneficial for the premature baby and the family.

Through the continued collective efforts of the worldwide community, new information will be gathered.  New medical practices can be established.  Expectant mothers and doctors will intervene when possible.  Together, we can reduce all of these statistics!