Contact: Jacki Apel, Director of Communications, March of Dimes (803) 252-5200

March of Dimes Awards DHEC $44,000 to
Reduce Smoking During Pregnancy Among its Clients
Grant among14 awarded in the state to improve the health of mothers and babies in South Carolina

(August 17, 2009)—The South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes has awarded more than $560,000 in chapter community grants for projects focused on improving the health of mothers and babies in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control received $44,000 to help pregnant smokers successfully quit and stay tobacco-free. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, premature births and low birth weight babies.

Health department clinic staff are being trained on the “2 As +R” protocol, which outlines that healthcare providers ask patients about tobacco use, advise them to quit and refer them to cessation resources. DHEC providers are referring clients to community resources including the S.C. Tobacco Quitline, which offers comprehensive tobacco treatment services free of charge to all South Carolinians.  This process has been scientifically proven effective and is recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.

South Carolina spends about $5.5 million annually in smoking-related neonatal costs for the 12.1 percent of mothers who report smoking during pregnancy, according to data from the Smoking Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Cost (SAMMEC). Decreasing the percentage of pregnant mothers who use tobacco products should reduce these expenses and associated negative birth outcomes. 

Last year, the South Carolina Chapter of March of Dimes invested millions of dollars in program services, including research grants and local community services. Through these grants, the March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s increasing premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies.

Premature birth touches more than half a million babies and their families every year. The March of Dimes is funding all-important research and programs to find ways to prevent preterm birth. In South Carolina, Select Health of South Carolina, Inc. is the Premier partner of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. Additional partners include BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and Palmetto Health.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies. For the latest resources and information visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org