Pematurity Awareness Month

The March of Dimes has declared November as Prematurity Awareness Month.

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In an average week in the United States 10,056 babies are born preterm and 1,604 babies are born very preterm. Today alone 1,400 babies will be born prematurely (defined as delivery before 37 weeks gestation), nearly 500,000 babies a year. Between 1981 and 2003, the rate of premature births rose from 9.4 percent to 12.3, an increase of almost 31 percent! People work day in and out to give these babies the best start yet all the reasons why and what to do to prevent it are still out of reach.

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The March of Dimes has created the Petition for Preemies to urge the new President and Congress to make more progress for preemies. The petition aims to:

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1. Urge the federal government to increase support for prematurity-related research and data collection as recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the Surgeon General’s Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth, to: (a) identify the causes of premature birth; (b) test strategies for prevention; (c) improve the care, treatment and outcomes of preterm infants; (d) and better define and track the problem of premature birth.

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2. Urge federal and state policymakers to expand access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and to support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care.

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3. Call on hospitals and health care professionals to voluntarily assess c-sections and inductions that occur prior to 39 weeks gestation to ensure consistency with professional guidelines.

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4. Call on businesses to create workplaces that support maternal and infant health. (View their 14 recommendations.)

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There are currently a little over 82,000 signatures on this petition. With nearly 500,000 babies born too soon each year this number is far to small. Change comes with numbers, and each one of us can help spread the word on behalf of babies. Head on over and sign and be sure everyone you know does the same!