The Reason
“We do it for the babies.” We hear this from March of Dimes volunteers and staff across the country. “We do it for the babies, that is the reason” Nothing is more precious, nothing causes such great expectations than a baby on the way. So much to do, so many decisions…. the room, clothes, toys and supplies, the changes in the way of life. The mother watches her body change and bonds to the life within. The father and families think about preparation, finances, how to make it all work. 40 weeks and then the great event occurs. Some say the greatest miracle of all.
But for one of every eight babies… one of every eight deliveries the storyline is broken. That is because one of every eight babies is born too soon. Some of these babies come so early (even at 24 weeks) they require superhuman efforts just to keep them alive. Others require intense care and extra hospital time. In Michigan, in an average week, 2496 babies are born, 307 are preterm, 208 are low weight and 22 die before their first birthday. Nationally ½ million babies are born before 37 weeks per year. Prematurity is the most serious risk a mother will face. And if the baby comes too early, the dreams and plans come to an abrupt end and the only thoughts are survival. Hospital costs skyrocket for a premature birth averaging $23,000 instead of the more normal $3000-5000. For very low birth weights, bills approaching $750,000 are not uncommon.
Thanks to years of March of Dimes funded research even babies 1 1/2 lbs can survive. Special units called NICUs are available in some hospitals to save the early babies. Every ounce of medical knowledge had to be rewritten for such tiny infants. From the tubing and needles used, to the special breathing apparatus and the special “soaps” that keep their lungs open, the March of Dimes research saves babies every week - every day. Yet the goal is to not just save the early babies but to prevent premature births from occurring in the first place.
Even if your baby was born healthy, the March of Dimes has touched your infant’s life. In Michigan your baby received new born screening of many of the most common and curable diseases. If left untreated these would cause illness, retardation or death. The March of Dimes helped devise the testing list and advocated for it being performed at every hospital in Michigan. The vitamins the doctor gave you after conception were part of a special program to prevent common birth defects. The importance of folic acid was recognized by March of dimes research. Your baby never had to face the scourge of polio, because the March of Dimes research helped eliminate that disease from the face of the earth. The March of Dimes is all about healthy babies. Please join the effort. “We do it for the babies you know.”
* The 2008 Signature Chefs Auction Committee
Have You Experienced Prematurity?
For every 1 week in the US there are 79,584 births. Of those 10,056 are preterm births,
6,511 are low birth weight babies, 3% are multiple baby births and 536 die before their 1st birthday.
Every 4 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect (including preterm) and since 1995-2005, there has
been an increase of 15% in premature births. The annual cost to our health care system and society is staggering, $26.2 billion.
Honor a child by donating, attending an event or volunteering.
Making a Donation or Attending an Event?
Want to Learn More About Prematurity?