Media Alert: Infant Deaths Up in U.S.

Rates Increase for First Time Since 1958
Premature Birth Is a Leading Cause

Talk to March of Dimes Experts to Find Out Why

According to a report of preliminary data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics, increases in infant deaths due to premature birth, birth defects and maternal complications of pregnancy are the top reasons why the infant mortality rate has risen to a rate of 7.0 per 1,000 births in 2002.

"These are all issues that the March of Dimes works on daily and the reason we launched a five-year, $75 million Prematurity Campaign last year," said Dr. Nancy Green, medical director of the March of Dimes, the nation's third largest healthcare nonprofit.  "Premature birth is the #1 cause of death in the first month of life.  Our nation needs to put research and prevention of premature birth at the top of its healthcare agenda."

The March of Dimes national campaign aims to raise awareness of the problem, educate women to the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, increase research to find the cause, and reduce the rate of premature birth by 15% by 2007.

Available for interviews are:

• Dr. Nancy Green, Medical Director, March of Dimes
• Dr. Joann Petrini, Director, Perinatal Data Center, March of Dimes

According to the National Center for Health Statistics:

• Between 2001 and 2002, the infant mortality rate in the U.S. increased for the first time since 1958, from 6.8 per 1,000 live births to 7.0 per 1,000 live births.
• Increases in three causes of death accounted for most of this increase: congenital anomalies (birth defects), disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, and maternal complications of pregnancy.
• There has been a 29 percent rise is premature births in the U.S. since 1981.
• In 2002, more than 480,000 babies were born prematurely in the U.S.

In addition to these alarming statistics, almost half of all premature births have no known cause.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK AN INTERVIEW
PLEASE CALL TODD DEZEN @ March of Dimes, 914.997.4608.