Prematurity is the leading killer of America's newborns and contributes significantly to lifelong disabilities and health problems including cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss. One study also found a correlation between very low birth weight and autism.
A host of socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors contribute to a woman’s risk for a preterm delivery and minorities are disproportionately affected. The March of Dimes reports that the rate of premature birth increased almost 35 percent between 1981 and 2005 (9.4 to 12.7 percent). In 2005, preterm birth cost the United States at least $26.2 billion, or $51,600 for every infant born preterm.
To help decrease rates of premature birth, March of Dimes started the Prematurity Campaign, a multimillion-dollar research, awareness and education campaign to help families have healthier babies. The Campaign Website provides a wealth of information for women, NICU families, and health professionals.
Learn what we as health and disability professionals can do to make a difference in this growing public health problem. To further your knowledge on this very important topic, please check out the March of Dimes and National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) webcast, The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign & New Approaches to the Prevention of Preterm Birth on November 20th. This webcast will present intervention strategies and resources for tackling the prevention of preterm birth in communities along with best practices examples of successful prematurity prevention programs.
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