Print Page

Premature birth is health problem to be addressed

Whose baby will be next? One in eight babies is born prematurely in this country, many without warning and for no known cause.

Today, Tuesday, Nov. 18, the March of Dimes is holding its first Premature Birth Awareness Day, a day proclaimed by Gov. Mark Sanford to call attention to the problem.

Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who do survive often face chronic health problems and developmental disabilities for the rest of their lives.

"The number of babies born too soon has increased dramatically over the past 20 years, with no downturn in sight," said March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse. "We're asking everyone who cares about babies to join us today and click on marchofdimes.com to say they want to know this is happening and how they can help."

By visiting the Web site, visitors will register their concern for the 476,000 babies born too soon each year in the United States and have an opportunity to join with thousands of others, attesting to the importance of the issue.

"The 'click' campaign is one more way our volunteers can help us raise awareness," Hart said of the on-line effort. "If we band together, we find the answers that will save premature babies and thwart this national epidemic."

Banding together also means a willingness to help directly when you "click." Earlier this year the March of Dimes launched a five-year, $75 million national campaign to educate women to the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, raise funds to conduct needed research and reduce the rate of premature birth by 15 percent by 2007. The total national hospital bill for premature babies was estimated by the March of Dimes at $13.6 billion in 2000.

March of Dimes premature birth campaign corporate sponsors will donate $1 for each click up to $150,000. The March of Dimes will take these "clicks" and use them to demonstrate to Congress and government health officials the intensity of interest in increasing the amount of research dollars available to find the cause of premature birth.

In our state, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is a statewide partner in the campaign. The insurance firm is joining with March of Dimes to teach women the signs of preterm labor and other ways to reduce risk, to support local community grants and programs and to educate health professionals about this serious health threat.

Your "click" can help because raising awareness will cost. Citizens' dollars being magnified by corporate sponsors are a way to make a big difference quickly. Paying for education and prevention can vastly reduce health care costs over time. BlueCross Blue Shield knows it and so should all of us.

But a March of Dimes survey found that only 35 percent of respondents identified premature birth as a "very serious" problem. More than 50 percent believe the problem is declining.

Before a problem can be solved, people have to be aware it is a problem. The March of Dimes' effort to create that awareness deserves support on this day and beyond.