Dear Volunteer Stitchers,

Thank you for helping us with PREEMIE PROJECT 1372. Through statewide, grassroots sewing efforts, we hope to collect 1,394 preemie-sized clothes to put on public display to visually demonstrate the extent of the premature birth epidemic in Maine. We hope that you will join us for the Prematurity Awareness Day® events on November 14th at the Augusta Armory.

It saddens me to have to report that we need to collect 1,394 tiny outfits this year. The most recent statistics indicate that we had an increase of 22 additional Maine preemies born in 2003.

The seriousness of the problem of premature births was brought into sharp focus by a recent report from the Institute of Medicine. The report estimates that preterm birth cost the United States more than $26.2 billion in terms of medical care, lost household and labor market productivity and early intervention services. An earlier study by the March of Dimes estimated that the in-patient hospital charges alone were $18.1 billion in 2003, 44% of which was billed to employers and other private plans and 49% to Medicaid. There are also costs to the employers of the parents of preterm babies.

We especially need you to talk with others about this epidemic. As the Mother's March once helped to raise money for the important research that lead to the development of a polio vaccine, we now are raising funds to support medical research to identify the causes of preterm labor and how to prevent or treat preterm labor. By educating the public about prematurity, you will be helping us reach our goals.

Below, you will find links to Preemie Project 1372 Background information, registration form, simple patterns with directions, a Resources List for other patterns, and additional ideas to incorporate into your project. Please visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/ to learn more about the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. Contact Sharon Schulberger (sschulberger@marchofdimes.com ) at the March of Dimes office if you have any questions or would like copies of the brochures.

Again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Karen M. Baldacci, First Lady of Maine               

Honorary Chair, Prematurity Campaign