Extending the Campaign Globally In October
2009, the March of Dimes released its White Paper,
The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth,
containing the first global estimates of preterm
birth. An estimated 13 million babies are born
preterm each year (9.6 percent of births worldwide),
with over 1 million of those dying in the
first year of life. The White Paper, developed in
collaboration with the World Health Organization,
generated widespread interest through television,
radio, print and digital media, with a reach of more
than 600 million people. The White Paper was
announced at the 4th International Conference on
Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing
World, held in New Delhi, India, where more than
300 delegates from 40 countries were on hand.

We also made significant contacts with groups in
other countries who are interested in collaborating
on increasing worldwide awareness of preterm
birth. The groundwork was laid to institute a
uniform Prematurity Awareness Day® — November
17 — in order to coordinate awareness events
throughout the world. 

Assuming a More Outspoken Public Stance
For the second consecutive year, the March of
Dimes issued the Premature Birth Report Card for
the nation as well as individual states. The nation,
once again, earned a grade of “D” (and Alababama earned an "F"); however, there
were bright spots to share in three modifiable
contributing factors to preterm birth that were
highlighted on the report cards:
• In 33 states and the District of Columbia, the
percentage of women of childbearing age who
smoke decreased.
• In 21 states and the District of Columbia, the
percentage of uninsured women of childbearing
age decreased.
• In 2 states the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico, the late preterm birth rate decreased.

Media coverage of the report cards was again extensive.
More than 5,000 stories appeared during October
and November in almost every state (compared
to 3,043 in 2008), helping to generate 389 million
media impressions (362 million in 2008).

Focusing on Critical Interventions As an outcome
of the Surgeon General’s Conference on the Prevention
of Preterm Birth in 2008, the March of Dimes
Symposium for Quality Improvement to Prevent
Prematurity was held October 8 and 9, 2009. More
than 250 people attended. The emphasis was on
systems-level quality improvement opportunities,
highlighting successful models throughout the
country.

Among the conclusions and action steps identified
were the need for more evidence-based measures of
perinatal quality and the need to replicate successful
hospital and regional evidence-based projects.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®, a collaborative
project of the March of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson
Pediatric Institute and the Kentucky Department
for Public Health, began its final pilot year. It
is anticipated that March of Dimes will soon have
best practices to share with chapters, states, health
systems and other stakeholders on reducing
preventable preterm births.

Year seven of our national Prematurity Campaign
brought increased understanding of the global
picture, keeping the topic of prematurity in the
public’s eye, and furthering advances in community
interventions. Much work remains, however, to
realize our Campaign goal of decreasing the rate of
prematurity in the United States, but I am confident
that we will succeed.

Dr. Jennifer L. Howse
President

For more perinatal health data, visit the March of Dimes PeriStats website . The PeriStats web site provides: