Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy, lung problems and vision and hearing loss.  If a woman’s pregnancy is healthy, it is best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks.

March of Dimes collaborated with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), and the California Department of Health, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Division to create a tool kit for hospitals and health systems to help eliminate elective deliveries before 39 weeks.

Elimination of Non-medically Indicated (Elective) Deliveries Before 39 Weeks Gestational Age; Quality Improvement (QI) Toolkit. The kit includes:

• Making the Case:  A comprehensive literature review about the importance of eliminating elective deliveries before 39 weeks.
• Implementation: A step-by-step guide to assist hospital leaders with implementation efforts.
• Data Collection and Quality Improvement: A guide for measuring and tracking QI effectiveness over time.
• Clinician and Patient Education: Educational tools for clinicians and staff about consequences of early elective delivery; educational tools for patients about the importance of the last weeks of pregnancy.
• Appendices: Sample Forms, Hospital Case Studies, QI Implementation Tools, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Methodology, Implementation Resources and References

The March of Dimes is making this kit available to all hospitals across the country as a free download and for purchase in our online product catalog.  For more information on this toolkit or other resources, contact Marianne Keuhn in the Minnesota Chapter at 952-835-3033 ext. 304.