More than half a million babies each year are born too soon here in the United States. Worldwide, that figure jumps to more than 12 million babies. Because these babies are premature, their lungs and brain haven't had time to fully develop.
With one of every eight babies born too soon in our country, we will observe November as World Prematurity Awareness Month and World Prematurity Day on Saturday, Nov. 17. We will focus attention on the serious impact premature birth has on babies and their families.
Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death in the United States. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, lung problems, vision and hearing loss and learning disabilities.
Babies aren't fully developed until at least 39 weeks in the womb. The March of Dimes encourages women whose pregnancies are healthy to wait for labor to begin on its own. Healthy babies are worth the wait.
Just as the March of Dimes galvanized America to defeat polio, today millions of March of Dimes volunteers are working to support research and programs to identify the causes of premature birth.
Awareness is the first step to solving this problem. To learn more, please visit www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity and facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay.
Board Senior Vice Chairwoman
Board Vice Chairman
March of Dimes
Port Huron, Nov. 1