| Alabama’s babies are dying at a higher rate than in the past three years, and more than half of that increase is among infants born weighing less than 1 pound, 1 ½ ounces, according to a report released last fall by the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Statistics. As part of an effort to address the issue of premature birth in Alabama, the March of Dimes is holding a seminar at Huntsville Hospital geared toward Alabama’s legislators and community leaders.
The seminar, “Saving Alabama’s Tiniest Babies: A State in Crisis,” is 10:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday, February 22, and will be held at the Huntsville Hospital Women’s Pavilion, 910 Adams Street. Neonatologist Meyer Dworsky, MD and Regional Perinatal Director Lisa Carter, RN, MSN, are the featured speakers and will be giving tours of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
Alabama’s low birthweight infants are 22 times more likely to die in their first year of life than those born full term, according to the Health Department’s report. Not only do low birthweight and premature babies cause heartache for those directly affected, they cause a major financial strain on the community as a whole. The seminar is intended to call attention to the problem of premature birth in Alabama and address solutions.
“Everyone is affected by prematurity in some way – families, businesses, schools, health professionals, the nation as a whole,” said Tom Oliver, Board Chairman of the Alabama Chapter of the March of Dimes. “Everyone must help because when our babies are in danger, a united and zealous response is called for.”
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.
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