| November is National Prematurity Awareness Month and the Governor’s Mansion will be lined with pink and blue luminaries on November 13 to build awareness of the crisis of prematurity. The Central Missouri March of Dimes office invites the public to view this spectacular sight and visit marchofdimes.com/missouri to learn ways to help spread the word about prematurity. Governor and Mrs. Blunt will host a coffee reception in honor of March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness Day.
“One in eight babies is born prematurely (before 37 weeks gestation) in Mid-Missouri, many without warning and for no known cause,” says Gretchen Roberts, March of Dimes Program Coordinator. “In an average week in Missouri twelve babies will die before their first birthday and those babies who do survive often face chronic health problems and developmental disabilities for the rest of their lives.”
In 2003, the March of Dimes launched a multi-year multi-million dollar national prematurity campaign to educate women about the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, raise funds to conduct needed research, and raise awareness of the problems of prematurity. In 2004, 13 percent of infants (10,075 babies) were born preterm in Missouri. While there are several factors that can help predict the risk of preterm birth, there is no known cause for half the cases of premature birth.
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. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org. The Missouri Web site is marchofdimes.com/missouri.
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