|
|
Greater Oregon Chapter Takes on the Challenge of Premature Birth
|
All parents wish the best for their children—starting with a normal and healthy birth. But for many babies in our community, that isn’t the case.
It’s supposed to take nine months for a baby to be born. But for reasons largely unknown, one in 11 babies arrives too soon every day in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in the first month of life. Half of all babies who do survive suffer from lifelong health problems, such as mental retardation, blindness, chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy.
Perhaps most startling is that the rate of premature births has increased over the last three decades. Since 1981, the number of babies born premature increased 27 percent in the United States.
Despite the statistics, premature birth is not widely perceived as either a common or serious problem.
Prematurity has always been an important target for the March of Dimes mission. But the alarming increase in premature births has prompted the March of Dimes to launch a new Prematurity Campaign. The campaign will raise awareness and, ultimately, look for ways to reduce the occurrence of premature birth 15 percent by 2007. Over the next five years, the March of Dimes will invest $75 million in research, education and community programs to fight this serious problem. National sponsors for the Prematurity Campaign include Cigna, FedEx, American Baby Magazine and Working Mother Magazine.
Because nearly half of all premature births have no known cause, investment in scientific research is a major part of the Prematurity Campaign. The tagline for the initial phase of the campaign is “Premature Birth: the answers can’t come soon enough,” which underscores the urgent need for research to prevent prematurity.
Educating women of childbearing age on the warning signs of preterm labor also is an important goal of the campaign. Women who know what to look for can get help early, which may prevent their babies from being born prematurely.
The campaign also will assist health professionals in improving detection of high-risk pregnancies. While all women are potentially at risk for having a premature baby, there are some known risk factors, such as a history of preterm delivery, stress, infection, smoking and illicit drug use.
Finally, the March of Dimes will work to expand health insurance to improve access to prenatal care and infant outcomes. Babies whose mothers receive early and regular prenatal care have a better chance of being born healthy—saving billions of dollars in medical costs in the long run.
To win the battle against prematurity, several national professional organizations have teamed up with the March of Dimes, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses. |
 |
|
|
|
|
