| Every year, 470,000 families welcome their new babies into the world prematurely; in fact one out of every ten babies arrives too early in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Premature birth is a common, serious and costly problem for American families —that’s why the March of Dimes created Prematurity Awareness Month.
Motherhood® Maternity, the largest maternity retailer in the U.S. and the national retail supporter of Prematurity Awareness Month, is committed to providing vital information to help pregnant women decrease the risk of premature birth and become aware of the warning signs of preterm labor. Warning signs include: a low, dull backache, cramps, pelvic pressure, contractions, or leaking fluid. If a pregnant woman has any of these signs, she should call her health care provider or go to the hospital immediately.
To aid this cause during Prematurity Awareness Month, information about the March of Dimes and instructions on how to access information on hundreds of pregnancy topics will be included in gift bags for customers making their first purchase at Motherhood stores between October 15th and November 16th. Motherhood® stores in several Oregon communities will invite all of their customers to support the Prematurity Awareness Campaign by making a donation either in the store or online at www.motherhood.com.
The March of Dimes is also offering online participation in Prematurity Awareness activities through a new web site called www.clicktosavebabies.org. The site features an opportunity to share personal stories and an opportunity to support research to prevent prematurity through a petition and a donation.
The Motherhood Maternity activities and web site donation program are part of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, a five-year, $75 million effort to address the growing problem of premature birth. The causes of nearly half of all premature births are unknown, leaving all families at risk.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects 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 five-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at http://www.marchofdimes.com/ or its Spanish Web site at http://www.nacersano.org/.
Motherhood® Maternity is the nation’s leading maternity retailer. Visit the maternity experts at Motherhood® at 800 retail locations and at http://www.motherhood.com/or call 18004MOM2BE. Motherhood® Maternity Contact: Mona Astra Liss, Publicity Director, 215.873.2237 ~ email: mliss@motherswork.com.
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