Georgia programs

• We’re improving the health of babies in our state.
• Our programs support moms-to-be and professionals.
• We offer comfort to families with a newborn in intensive care.

We help moms to get 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. 

 

39 Weeks, Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait

39 Weeks, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait 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, 39 Weeks 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. A baby born even a week or two early can have serious long-term health problems. Scheduling your baby’s birth for non-medical reasons before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy can cause problems for mom and baby. Waiting for labor to begin on its own is the best way to prevent these health risks. The March of Dimes is raising awareness about the problems associated with scheduling a baby’s birth and reminding mothers that healthy babies are worth the wait.
Watch the WSBTV special about 39 Weeks!

 

Angel II

Angel II is a special mobile neonatal intensive care unit that stabilizes and transports sick and/or premature infants to hospitals. Angel II travels to Level I and Level II hospitals and, after a baby is stabilized there, transports them to a Level III or Level IV hospital. The March of Dimes provided the funding for this vital transport vehicle after Grady Hospital’s two older vehicles were officially taken out of service in 2007. Our first Angel II ambulance transports about two babies across the state each day, or 570 babies a year. In late 2011, we proudly unveiled a second Angel II ambulance for use across the state. Together, these two ambulances will be able to transport almost 1,200 babies a year.

 

Education

We provide awareness and information for the general public, targeting education for women of child bearing age as well as for healthcare professionals. Here are some examples of educational projects we fund in Georgia:

• Stork’s Nest - A cooperative project between the March of Dimes and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. that provides prenatal education and incentives for low-income pregnant women.
• Project Alpha - A collaborative project with March of Dimes and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. providing young males with education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
• Comenzado Bien - Prenatal education for Hispanic women.
• Perinatal Education - Promoting healthy pregnancies by focusing on case management, prenatal education classes and prenatal appointment compliance.
• CenteringPregnancy® - Group prenatal care focused on empowering women to take control of their bodies, their pregnancies, and their families, and empowering health care providers to share their care-giving with their clients.