WHAT: Georgia Prematurity Summit - Solving the Prematurity Puzzle  - A one-day workshop educating participants about the problem of premature birth and how they can be a part of the solution.

ATLANTA, GA – July 6, 2005 – The state of Georgia has one of the highest premature birth rates in the country with 323 preterm babies born each week.* In an effort to educate Georgians about this growing problem, the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter is offering a one day conference entitled Solving the Prematurity Puzzle that will educate participants about the problem of premature birth and how they can be a part of the solution.

Kicking off Prematurity Awareness Month in November, the Summit will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005, from 8am to 4pm. Participants will include lobbyists, legislators, public health officials, public relations and marketing professionals, insurance company representatives, parents, business leaders and health care providers. National Prematurity Awareness Day is November 16, 2005.

To register for the Summit, click here.

Prematurity is a silent crisis in America. Every year more than 470,000 infants are born prematurely, and prematurity is on the rise. It now affects one out of every eight babies born in the United States. Prematurity takes a severe toll on America’s families and strains our health care system. Each year, 100,000 children develop health problems because of their early births. And prematurity is the leading cause of death in the first month and the second leading cause of death in the first year.

In 2003, the March of Dimes launched its national Prematurity Campaign, a multimillion-dollar research, awareness and education campaign to help families have healthier babies. The campaign includes:

• Funding research to find the causes of premature birth.
• Educating women about the risk reduction strategies, including the signs and symptoms of premature labor.
• Providing support to families affected by prematurity.
• Expanding access to health care coverage so that more women can get prenatal care.
• Helping health care providers learn ways to help reduce the risk of early delivery.
• Advocating for access to insurance to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes.

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.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/

* Preterm is less than 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

Media Contact: Brittney Gray, Director of Communications, 404-350-9800 ext. 224 or bgray@marchofdimes.com

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