March of Dimes E-mail Newsletter

E-MAIL NEWSLETTER

January, 2006

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year! We hope you had healthy and enjoyable holidays.

While much of the work the March of Dimes undertakes is in research, our services also extend to NICUs nationwide, helping parents cope with having a child in neonatal intensive care. In this issue of Miracles, one March of Dimes NICU Family Support Specialist relates a special story of her encounter with a family of a tiny baby boy.

This month's personal story is a remarkable tale of a tiny girl born at 23 weeks, and facing countless (but unfortunately typical) obstacles related to her early birth.

We wish you well in this new year, which we enter with renewed resolve. Please join us in our effort to improve the health of babies and mothers.



	PERSONAL SPOTLIGHT: Amazing Alexandra


	Dear March of Dimes,

After a very difficult pregnancy, our daughter Alexandra was born at 23 weeks gestation in the beginning of January of 2002. I remember praying every day to make it farther into the pregnancy. It was very difficult to accept, I seemed to be in a state of shock, and managing with my emotions was something I tried to hide. I had to be strong for her, and I managed to be strong for her.

I remember the first time I saw her. She was so small, frail, her arms no wider than my fingers, her legs the same. Her hands no bigger than my thumb nail. She had a fine coat of hair on her face, shoulders and arms. One of her eyes was still fused shut. She was still beautiful. I suppose only a mother can see that.

Alexandra, shortly after birth.

She weighed 1 lb., 3 oz. at birth. Alex was jaundiced, as most preemies are, and was on a ventilator, which can be expected at her gestational age. She received all nutrients through IV for a fairly long period of time. We were told her chances of survival were around 20%, and the chances of her leading a normal life were very slim. Even though the fear was preparing me for the worst, an inkling of faith kept me believing she would be okay.

We nearly lost Alexandra on many occasions. She would get pneumonia, she would aspirate her milk into her lungs, and it would ...

This story originally appeared on the March of Dimes shareyourstory.org web site, where people can share stories, participate in online discussions about premature and sick babies, and meet other NICU families. We invite you to join us there.



	THE MARCH OF DIMES HELPS: NICU Family Support®

New Image Needed

Early in this new year it is important for us to recognize all of the families that are gripped each day by the powerful and sorrowful circumstances of having a sick or premature baby hospitalized in a NICU.

Through March of Dimes NICU Family Support® we are bringing information and comfort to these families each and every day in hospitals nationwide. The following is a story about one of our NICU Family Support Specialist's experiences providing support to one family. Her name is Lori Gunther and she is a master's level counselor and a former NICU parent. This is her story:

One evening, a father approached me in the NICU and asked if I could take a photograph of his son. Because the NICU was closed for medical rounds, he had not been able to see his newly born baby yet. I took the photograph and gave it to him.

Several days later, he came to my office and told me that his son was going into surgery and wondered if I could take some black and white photos of him. I said yes and asked if he had ever held his baby. He said he had not. I walked into the NICU and saw his wife. If she could have crawled into the incubator, she would have.

I asked the nurse who was caring for the baby if the parents could hold him. I said I knew ...



	NEWS FROM THE MARCH OF DIMES

Prematurity Awareness Day

Third Annual Prematurity Awareness Day lit the nation with hope

An outpouring of energy and enthusiasm went into creating and carrying out activities to help more people become aware of premature birth, the number one killer of newborns. Here are a few of the details ...

On November 15, were more than 100 structures were lit up in pink and blue, nearly three times as many as in 2004, in communities in 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. From beyond coast-to-coast -- Honolulu to San Juan, Seattle to Miami, and Boston to Portland, OR -- banks, bridges, boats ... malls, hospitals, sports arenas and halls of fame ... skyscrapers and historic county courthouses ... two Governor's Mansions and capitol buildings in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Puerto Rico -- were lit in the pink & blue tribute. The entire skyline profiles of Philadelphia and Chicago were also lit, as well as Hoover Dam across the Nevada-Arizona border and ...

Thank you and be well,

Michael

Editor
Miracles Online
March of Dimes

Our Mission: To improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. We carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: premature birth, birth defects, low birthweight.

ANNUAL FUND 2006

A TIME FOR RESOLUTIONS

Our Recommendations for a Healthy Baby.

Some premature births and birth defects may be avoided when a woman focuses on maintaining a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy. The March of Dimes recommends seven New Year's resolutions to help give babies a healthy start.

"Even if you're not yet thinking about having a baby, why not start the new year by resolving to make your lifestyle as healthy as possible. That way, you'll be ready when you decide to get pregnant," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.

WHAT IS...?

Kangaroo Care is a common NICU practice in which parents hold their newborn baby with skin-to-skin contact, which benefits both the baby and parents. The baby is positioned on the bare chest (for fathers) or between your breasts (for mothers), with a blanket draped over the baby's back and a diaper on its bottom.

Kangaroo care can help the baby:

•	Maintain body warmth
•	Regulate heart and breathing rates
•	Gain weight
•	Spend more time in deep sleep
•	Spend more time being quiet and alert and less time crying
•	Have a better chance of successful breastfeeding. (It can improve the mother's breastmilk production.)

Kangaroo Care offers emotional benefits for parents, too. It can build confidence as they provide intimate care that can improve the baby's health and well-being.

It's safe and beneficial, even if the baby is quite small and connected to machines. It's a precious and potentially beneficial way for parents to be close to their premature or sick child.

Read more about kangaroo care