March of Dimes Honors Infants Born Too Soon During ‘Prematurity Awareness Month’

By Brenda Durden

More than half a million babies are born too soon each year, and as a result thousands don’t live to celebrate their first birthday.
November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and the March of Dimes launched a new web site—www.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 eighth annual
Prematurity Awareness Day by issuing its 2010 Premature Birth Report
Card, which grades the nation and the states on preterm birth rates. To
promote awareness, the local March of Dimes has organized a poster
competition among students at UNC Asheville. Posters will be displayed
in the lobby of Mission Hospital and judged by the NICU staff, with the
winner announced on radio station Star-104.3 on November 17.

The group will also host an Ice Cream Social that day to show
appreciation for the NICU staff. The public is urged to stop by and see
the art display and show support for NICU staff and UNCA students.

“We are helping everyone understand the importance of a full-term
pregnancy,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.
“The last few weeks of pregnancy are critical to a baby because many
important organs, including the brain, need this time to completely
develop.”

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy
and infant health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to
improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature
birth, and infant mortality. Contact the Asheville office at (828)
258-1234 to find out how you can be involved to support this great
cause.