Premature birth touches more than half a million babies and their families every year.  Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. 

Prematurity takes a severe toll on America’s families and strains our health care system. The average medical cost for healthy full-term babies from birth through their first birthday was $4,551 in 2007 dollars, of which more than $3,800 is paid for by health plans, according to the new data. For premature and/or low birthweight babies (less than 37 completed weeks gestation and/or less than 2500 grams), the average cost was nearly $50,000, of which more than $46,000 was borne by the health plan.

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign is a multimillion-dollar research, awareness and education campaign to help families have healthier babies. The campaign includes:
• Funding research to find the causes of premature birth.
• Educating families about the warning signs of premature labor and what can be done to prevent it.
• Providing support to families of babies in the NICU.
• Expanding access to health care coverage so that more women can get prenatal care.
• Helping health care providers learn ways to help reduce the risk of early delivery.
• Advocating for access to insurance to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes

The March of Dimes is proud to have the support of Geisinger Health System as the March of Dimes Pennsylvania Prematurity Campaign Partner.  The March of Dimes appreciates the opportunity to partner with a preeminent rural health system, Geisinger’s assistance in targeting and delivering prematurity-related messages, and the opportunity to study and apply Geisinger’s cutting-edge healthcare delivery methods to maternal and pediatric healthcare delivery nationwide.

Together, we look forward to a day when all babies are born full term and healthy.