In 1960, the March of Dimes established The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.  The organization went onto fund many successful research projects such as identifying the double helix structure of DNA, developing the screening test for PKU and the demonstration of how genes direst normal development and how mutations cause abnormal development.  In 1970, the first WalkAmerica events took place.  March of Dimes grantees established that drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes birth defects.  In 1976, the March of Dimes organized the original Committee on Perinatal Health which proposed a model system for regionalized perinatal care and defined three levels of hospital care.  The result was improved perinatal outcomes, especially better survival rates for high-risk infants.  The March of Dimes helped to establish NICUs in hospitals around the country. In 1982, the March of Dimes introduced Babies & You, a worksite prenatal health promotion program which has now morphed into the web based Healthy Babies, Healthy Business, which is available free to businesses.  A few years later, research funded by the March of Dimes resulted in the development of surfactant therapy which helps under developed lungs of preterm babies to flex and breathe. In 1991, March of Dimes researchers found genes responsible for Marfan syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Soon after, gene therapy was developed.  In 1994, the March of Dimes begins a national campaign urging women of childbearing age to take folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects and was successful in supporting the FDA to fortify grain products with folic acid. 

Through advocacy efforts, the March of Dimes has been active in the development of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and in passage of the Birth Defects Prevention Act, which established a nationwide network of birth defects monitoring and research programs.  Later, in 2000, Congress approves Children’s Health Act to create a National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, and to help states expand newborn screening.  Through the efforts of our won volunteers, Virginia became one of the first five states to expand newborns screening to the full 29 tests.  Now, in 2003, the National Prematurity Campaign was launched to stem the crisis of premature births.  Today, we are celebrating National prematurity Awareness Day to raise awareness of the problems related to preterm births.  In the US, 12.5% of all births are preterm.  In Virginia, our rate is 12.4% and increasing every year.  Our national goal is to reduce preterm births to 7.6% of live births.  Preterm births can result in greater risks of serious health problems.  The earlier a child is born, the less she will weigh, the less developed her organs will be, and the more complications faced.  New research shows what rapid development the brain undergoes in the final four weeks of pregnancy.  There are many reasons, know and unknown, for preterm birth and the March of Dimes is working to educate families and professionals in the benefit of ensuring a every pregnancy lasts as long as possible.  We need your help and that’s why we are here tonight.

The March of Dimes Virginia Chapter is working at all levels to ensure the health of mothers and babies. By leveraging its resources as part of a large national non-profit organization, your local March of Dimes chapter is able to form local alliances and secure partnerships with government officials, state and local agencies, medical institutions and hospitals, and other groups.  By working together, we have a greater impact on maternal and infant health in Virginia.

• Through advocacy efforts of staff and volunteers, newborn screening was expanded from 9 to 29 conditions beginning March 1, 2006. Since then, 47 positive diagnoses have been made on the newly added screens – which mean 47 babies benefited from early treatment which can make a positive impact on the quality of their lives.
• The March of Dimes volunteers were successful in getting the General Assembly to increase the budget for the Resource Mothers Program which is a highly successful outreach program serving high risk pregnant teens. The chapter also funded a grant which provided training to the outreach workers to be able to incorporate smoking cessation into their services. 
• The Virginia Chapter had the only volunteer member on Governor Mark Warner’s OB Task Force which investigated the loss of prenatal care services across the Commonwealth.
• The Virginia Chapter has provided funding for the completion of a statewide genetics needs assessment and is now funding the development of a Virginia plan for genetics education.
• The Virginia Chapter was successful in getting the first increase in the sales tax on cigarettes with the income being earmarked for healthcare costs.

The March of Dimes provides public and professional health education.

• The March of Dimes Virginia Chapter provides public education materials which include brochures, booklets, posters, and videos on a variety of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and infant related issues. Items are available in easy-to-read formats and many are available in Spanish.
• The Healthy Babies Healthy Business Web site marchofdimes.com/hbhb provides company intranets and wellness programs with the latest high-quality pregnancy and newborn health information at no cost.  
• Thousands of visitors access our family website, www.shareyourstory.org  to share their stories, participate in online discussions about premature babies, and meet other NICU families.
• The March of Dimes Virginia Chapter offers an annual Prematurity Summit.  This year’s event will be in partnership with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Honorable Marilyn Tavenor.  The event is May 8 was attended by a cross section of health professionals and providers, families, and corporations.  The result was 97 plans of action developed to reduce preterm deliveries.
• In partnership with the Blue Ridge Perinatal Council, the chapter sponsored smoking cessation training for nurses from a hospital with over 50% deliveries to mothers who smoked during pregnancy.
• In partnership with the University of Virginia Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, the chapter will sponsor a speaker on folic acid education for nurses.
  

Local community grants fund education, access to care and services.

• In 2007, the March of Dimes Virginia Chapter invested more than $169,000 in grants to local communities funding programs to decrease premature birth, increase access to prenatal care, and educate women and men about having healthy babies.  Some of the current grants are:
  
• Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Human Genetics for the development of a statewide genetics education plan.
• Community Voice, a prenatal education project developed by the Virginia Chapter culturally sensitive to African American women in Martinsville, Virginia.
• Expansion of preterm labor education and WIC outreach in local health departments.

National Research grants explore ways to prevent birth defects and prematurity.

• The national March of Dimes currently funds research grants to Virginia universities and hospitals totaling more than $2,000,000.
• Since the victory over polio, the March of Dimes has worked to protect our nation’s young from birth defects, premature birth, and other threats to their health. Millions of babies have been saved from death or disability. The babies in every state benefit from national research grants funded by the March of Dimes. In addition, we still work toward the day when every baby has the best possible chance to be born healthy.

Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns and a major cause of serious health problems.

• It costs society billions of dollars. Nearly half a million babies are born prematurely every year and the number is rising. Here in Virginia, over 12,000 babies are born prematurely annually. The March of Dimes is leading a national effort to save babies from premature birth by funding research to find the causes and by supporting local programs that offer hope and help to families with a baby in intensive care.
• March of Dimes NICU Family SupportSM  was developed and launched in 2001 to respond to the emotional and informational needs of families during the NICU hospitalization, during the transition home and in the event of a newborn death.  NICU families receive books and have the opportunity to view videos that provide information about the NICU experience, and receive direct services that provide emotional support within the NICU setting. Virginia NICU Family Support project was launched at the Henrico Doctors Hospital.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.