Nebraska 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 give moms 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.

NICU Family Support: The Davis Family Story

Heidi and Jason Davis are the proud first-time parents of Calin Lee Davis. They are now at home, loving every minute with their precious baby boy. But it hasn’t always been this joyous. Calin was born on August 22, 2007 at 28 weeks, weighing just 1 pound 3 ounces. He spent the next 116 days in the NICU at the Nebraska Medical Center. Calin experienced many problems that are common for babies born so prematurely and endured many surgeries. He also has cystic fibrosis.

The Davis’s, who live in Hastings, had to travel to Omaha to get the care Calin needed. Heidi was lucky enough to stay in Omaha the whole time he was hospitalized, but was left alone often as her husband and family needed to return to work. Heidi (and sometimes other family members) attended many NICU Family Support programs, including scrapbooking, parent hours, blanket making and pizza nights. “These activities helped me develop a support system with other NICU families. I also made a special memory book and learned to laugh in the midst of my constant worry about Calin. Abby (the MOD NICU Family Support Specialist) offered tremendous support and encouragement.” Due, in part, to the support they received from the March of Dimes, the Davis family has committed to being long term volunteers for the Foundation.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait (HBWW) 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, HBWW 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.