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March of Dimes Joins With Motherhood Maternity To Celebrate October As "Healthy Babies Month"
WHITE PLAINS, NY, OCT. 1, 2001 – Want to know how to have a healthier baby? Ask the March of Dimes, the nation’s leader in maternal and infant health, which this month launches a new information campaign with Motherhood Maternity, the nation’s largest maternity apparel retailer, marking October as "Healthy Babies Month."
During this month, more than 500 Motherhood Maternity retail and outlet stores will ask customers for a donation of $1.00 or more to support the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies. The company is an ongoing contributor to the March of Dimes. Its goal is to have the approximately 500,000 customers who visit Motherhood stores each month participate in the drive to help the March of Dimes fund lifesaving research on prematurity, its national Resource Center, and public and professional materials distributed in communities across the nation while educating women about prenatal care. Motherhood Maternity will share ten percent of the proceeds from this partnership with the CJ Foundation for SIDS Awareness.
"Get prenatal care, eat a healthy diet, know the signs of preterm labor – these are just some of the ways women can better their pregnancy," says Marion Greenup, senior vice president, education and health promotion for the March of Dimes. "And we are proud that Motherhood Maternity is joining us in this great effort to educate women. If pregnant women take these simple steps early in pregnancy, birth outcomes will be greatly improved."
Greenup says women should get a checkup before they become pregnant to screen for medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and that all women of child-bearing age should take a daily multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid as part of a healthy diet to prevent birth defects of the spine and brain. Pregnant women should also avoid alcohol, smoking or taking drugs that could harm the baby, she says.
"We are so excited to team up with the March of Dimes as part of our Motherhood is Everything Good™ program, which helps first time mothers prepare for having a baby by providing her with product offers and information she needs to know in preparation for having a baby. We support the work of the March of Dimes and feel this is a natural partnership that will encourage the health of mothers and babies," says Rebecca Matthias, COO and spokesperson for Motherhood Maternity.
The Motherhood Maternity in-store program will distribute materials with these messages at the point of purchase. Women who would like to find a store location near them can call 1-800-4MOM2BE. The online program at and www.maternitymall.com will also raise donations and link to the March of Dimes Web site for more information.
Motherhood Maternity is the largest maternity retailer in the world with over 500 retail and leased locations in all 50 states and provides expecting mothers with every day fashion at great low prices.
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 organization funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies lives. Information can be found on its web site at www.marchofdimes.com or by calling toll free 1-888-MODIMES.
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