North Carolina Programs

We give moms the information and care they need before, during and after pregnancy. If something goes wrong, we support families in the NICU. Learn more about some of our community programs below.

NICU Family Support

When a baby is born too soon or very sick and starts life in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), the March of Dimes is there to support the family. One in every 10 babies born in the United States is admitted to a NICU. Some babies spend just a couple of days, others many long months. Having a baby hospitalized in a NICU can be frightening, confusing and overwhelming. NICU Family Support offers information and comfort. We enhance family-centered care practices in partner hospitals to address the needs of families and provide professional education to NICU staff. 

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait (HBWW) is a preterm birth prevention initiative with a focus on “preventable” late preterm birth. Through partnerships and collaborations between hospitals, health departments and community organizations, HBWW provides education for pregnant patients, health care providers and the greater community to understand the problem of preterm birth and what measures can be taken to reduce the risks of it occurring.

Becoming a Mom / Comenzando bien

Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien® is a prenatal curriculum presenting a supportive group setting for pregnant women that is offered in both English and Spanish. Throughout nine sessions, women learn about having a healthy pregnancy with topics like prenatal care, nutrition, stress, labor and birth, postpartum care and newborn care. It also provides culturally relevant social support and demonstrates improved birth outcomes/behavior change where ideas and resources can be shared as well as evaluation tools to increase program participation. 

Prematurity Campaign

Premature birth can happen without warning and for no known reason. To fight this problem, the March of Dimes launched a national multiyear, multimillion-dollar Prematurity Campaign to raise awareness of the problem of prematurity and to reduce the rate of premature birth.

EveryWomanNC.com

The North Carolina Chapter is home to a unique and extremely successful program called the March of Dimes North Carolina Preconception Health Campaign (formerly the North Carolina Folic Acid Campaign). The Campaign seeks to raise awareness and inspire positive action among the general public, health care professionals and community agencies through a fully integrated educational and media campaign. You can find out more about their activities and programs at EveryWomanNC.com.

Hurricane Preparedness Tips - The needs for parents and pregnant women are unique

Natural disasters can make life more complicated for pregnant women and infants living in high risk areas. While we can’t change the weather, we can change what we do to deal with whatever Mother Nature delivers.

“A weather emergency or other disaster is a nerve-wracking time for anyone, but especially for pregnant women and new parents,” says Julie Samples, Chair of the March of Dimes Program Services Committee. “March of Dimes urges you to be prepared and have a plan in place to save time in an emergency and help reduce unneeded stress.”

Women should discuss any concerns and their delivery plans with their obstetrician or other health care provider. Families should follow local hurricane readiness guidelines and put together an emergency bag in the event they need to evacuate quickly.

The March of Dimes has brochures with tips to prepare for an emergency including timely and relevant information about food, water, breastfeeding and infant formula, and signs and symptoms of preterm and normal labor. It’s vital that all pregnant women in areas affected by a disaster know to seek medical care immediately if they have any of the symptoms of labor.

Download the March of Dimes disaster preparedness brochures Prepare for Disaster – Special Information for Pregnant Women and Prepare for Disaster – Special Information for Families with Infants, and for general planning and preparation information visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Helping Families Prepare for a Disaster

As someone who provides education and support for families, you can help make sure they are prepared in then event of a natural disaster. Does your place of employment have a disaster plan that meets the special needs of pregnant women and infants? To read more, download the Six Key Elements for Every Disaster Plan.

The following documents can be downloaded, printed and distibuted to your familes. Encourage them to keep the brochures in an area of the house that is easy to find in the event that they must leave quickly.

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