New York, NY, November 6, 2006. Even when pregnant women do everything their doctors advise most feel guilty if they deliver prematurely, according to a survey of moms of preemies by Babytalk magazine and the March of Dimes.

Nationwide, more than a half million babies – one in eight – are born prematurely each year and the number continues to rise. Babies who survive an early birth face risks of lifelong health challenges.

In honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, Babytalk magazine, together with the March of Dimes, conducted an exclusive survey among mothers of preemies to better understand the emotional impact giving birth prematurely has on new moms. 

Among the key findings:

› Even though moms realize it's not their fault, 64% said that they sometimes felt guilty for delivering early.

› Giving birth early makes moms nervous about future pregnancies. Two thirds of respondents – 67% – admitted that giving birth prematurely left them anxious about having other children.

› Since premature babies can face serious health problems that require extensive stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), many moms feel robbed of the joy of becoming a parent. In fact, almost half of moms surveyed – 46% – said that they didn't really feel like a parent until they brought their baby home.

› Moms of premature babies feel judged by others. A quarter of respondents said that they felt that others blamed them – either subtly or openly – for the early arrival.

“A woman can do everything right and still have a premature baby,” said Liza Cooper, a licensed social worker and director of the March of Dimes Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Family Support program. “When something goes wrong, parents are sent on an emotional roller coaster and mothers often blame themselves in an attempt try to regain some sense of control. That's why the March of Dimes empowers parents with information that helps them care for their newborn.”

The Babytalk/March of Dimes Preemie Baby Shower
To help raise awareness for the increasing premature birth rate, Babytalk is partnering with the March of Dimes to host a special event to honor New York area moms of preemies with a celebration that many never had the opportunity to experience – a baby shower.  Moms of preemies will gather at the Time/Life Building on Thursday, November 9th to be feted with a brunch featuring guest speaker Jane Clayson, former CBS Early Show host and mother of a premature son born earlier this year, and Jenny Minton, who documented her struggle with giving birth to premature twins in the critically-acclaimed memoir The Early Birds.  Each attendee will receive over $200 worth of gifts, including a Jeep stroller; babycare products from Aveeno, Huggies, The First Years and Summer Infant; toys from Fisher-Price and Little Kids; clothing from u*b*baby and Little Me; a copy of The Early Birds, and more!

“Prematurity Awareness Month gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate moms of preemies.  We're honored to be able to join the March of Dimes in their campaign to promote awareness of the issue of premature birth and to highlight the need for more research into its causes,” said Susan Kane, editor-in-chief of Babytalk.  “We were overwhelmed by the emotional response to the Babytalk survey, and hope that the results shed some light on the incredible journeys to motherhood that these brave women have endured.”

Survey Methodology:
The Babytalk Preemie Mom survey of 549 mothers who gave birth prematurely was conducted from August 24, 2006 through October 18, 2006 by The Parenting Group's MomConnection® network. MomConnection members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey.   Other respondents were solicited from Parenting.com, Babytalk.com, AOL Parenting and Marchofdimes.com.


About Babytalk:
Helping women navigate the emotional roller coaster and practical realities of being a new mom, Babytalk gives its 5.2 million readers a confidence-building mix of news and advice from experts and moms who “tell it like it is.” The Babytalk franchise includes Babytalk and Babytalk Mom-to-Be magazines, Babytalk First Months and the Babytalk First Months kit.  Babytalk is part of The Parenting Group, a division of Time Inc., a Time Warner company.  For more information, visit www.babytalk.com.