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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., OCT. 25, 2004 -- Citing premature birth as the #1 health risk for America's newborns, the March of Dimes has named November Prematurity Awareness Month to draw attention to this growing common, costly and serious public health problem.
"Every year, more than 470,000 babies arrive early, before their bodies are ready for birth, sometimes before they are able to survive," says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, which is spearheading the drive for more research on prematurity. "Nearly half of these premature deliveries have no known cause. We have to find out why this is happening so that we can prevent premature birth."
On Tuesday, November 16, designated as Prematurity Awareness Day, buildings and bridges across the country will be lit in pink and blue to remind Americans of the growing crisis of premature birth, including:
- Niagara Falls, Buffalo, New York
- New York City -- The ConEd Building in Union Square
- Chicago -- LaSalle-Wacker Building & Towers
- Philadelphia -- Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Strawberry Mansion Bridge, CIGNA World Headquarters
- Miami -- Bank of America Building (designed by I. M. Pei) on Biscayne Bay
- Springfield, MA -- The Basketball Hall of Fame
- Milwaukee --U. S. Bank Building
- Oklahoma and Wyoming -- State Capitol Domes
If you want to get involved, visit http://www.clicktosavebabies.org/ to find out about local events, sign an online petition to Congress for increased research funding, or connect with other families affected by premature birth.
You can also visit Motherhood Maternity stores throughout November to receive a free gift bag and health pregnancy information from the March of Dimes. "We understand the importance of educating expectant families, so we encourage all moms-to-be to come into our stores and get valuable information about having a healthy baby," says Rebecca Mathias, president of Motherhood Maternity.
Partnering with the March of Dimes in this effort are the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
Corporate sponsors of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign are CIGNA, FedEx and the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute. Media sponsors include American Baby Group and Working Mother Media.
These organizations and about 35 others will join the March of Dimes at a rally and news conference in Washington, D.C. to call for increased federal funding for prematurity research. Dr. Louis J. Sullivan, March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign Chairman and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, is scheduled to convene the gathering.
