San Francisco, Calif., November 21, 2003 - One in eight babies is born prematurely (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) in the U.S., many without warning and for no known cause, according to the March of Dimes. Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death (in the first month of life), and babies who do survive often face chronic health problems and developmental disabilities for the rest of their lives. The total national hospital bill for premature babies was estimated at $13.6 billion in 2001, according to a recent March of Dimes analysis. This accounts for nearly half of all infant hospitalization charges.

Despite these alarming statistics, Americans today are unaware of the magnitude of this health problem. In a recent March of Dimes Gallup Poll of 1,967 adults, only 35 percent of respondents identified prematurity as a "very serious" or "extremely serious" problem. In the same survey, more than 50 percent of respondents believed the rate of preterm birth is declining or about the same.

The March of Dimes recently launched a five-year, $75 million national prematurity campaign to address this growing and serious problem. "Through this campaign, we aim to educate women about the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, raise funds to conduct needed research, and reduce the rate of premature birth by 15 percent by 2007," said March of Dimes State Director, Dani Montague.

Montague continued, "We know from experience that Dr. Kessler is a man of action. He worked with March of Dimes while he was Commissioner of the FDA. Under Dr. Kessler’s leadership, the FDA fortified enriched grain products with folic acid to reduce the occurrence of serious birth defects. We are thrilled that he has agreed to lead our prematurity campaign."

"Premature birth is a serious medical problem that must be overcome," said Dr. Kessler. "It’s critical that women be educated about the known health risks for prematurity, the signs of prematurity and the importance of being treated by high risk specialists when the risk is known in advance."

As a part of its Prematurity Campaign, the March of Dimes is calling for Congress to take swift action and pass two bills that will help stem the rising tide of premature birth. The bills are: the PREEMIE bill, which will expand federal research into pre-term birth; and the Prevent Prematurity and Improve Child Health Act, which will increase access to health coverage for pregnant women, infants and children.

The public is also encouraged to participate in the prematurity campaign. During the month of November, those who visit marchofdimes.com and click on the hospital wristband on the home page will register their concern over and attest to the importance of the problem of premature birth. The March of Dimes will use these "clicks" to demonstrate to Congress and government health officials the intensity of interest in increasing the amount of research dollars available to find the causes of prematurity. Already, more than 515,000 people have clicked on the site.

Partnering with the March of Dimes in its prematurity campaign’s efforts 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). National corporate and media sponsors include CIGNA, FedEx, the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, Meredith Publishing’s American Baby Group, Working Mother Media and Matria Healthcare, Inc. In addition, more than 25 professional, consumer and government organizations across the U.S. assist in communicating the March of Dimes educational messages.

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