February 14, Related Stories. August 2, Newsroom Press Release Research. Under its current mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, the March of Dimes Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the toll taken by birth defects on children, families, and society in the USA and globally.
Roosevelt in to combat epidemic polio. Within the first 20 years of its existence, the March of Dimes funded the successful development of both the Salk and Sabin vaccines against this dreaded disease, leading the way to eliminating polio from most of the world.
With its longstanding history of influencing major developments to improve public health outcomes, the March of Dimes has committed in recent decades to improving maternal and infant health in the USA and globally by supporting public and professional education, advocacy, community services, and research. Many March of Dimes-funded initiatives for improving the health of mothers and babies in the USA have benefitted populations around the world.
For example, during the s, March of Dimes medical director Dr. Virginia Apgar developed the APGAR score, a system to help health professionals evaluate the physical condition of babies at birth. Today, the APGAR score is used worldwide and serves as a universally understood initial assessment tool to determine the health of a newborn. Like Dr. Apgar, numerous other March of Dimes grantees over the years have paved the way to advances in research and care for affected children.
Through determining the underlying causes of certain birth defects and identifying the risk factors associated with them, the March of Dimes promotes strategies for birth defects prevention. The March of Dimes believes that every baby should receive the best care possible to help them achieve their best health. It is this belief that led us to become a prominent voice in advocacy for the creation and expansion of uniform newborn screening programs [ 2 ] to detect metabolic disorders and other conditions not visible at birth that may cause catastrophic health problems or death if not diagnosed and treated immediately.
Although early diagnosis and care of affected children are essential, the March of Dimes remains a strong proponent of efforts for prevention of birth defects.
Two landmark reports published by the March of Dimes and partners have shown that the burden of birth defects [ 1 ] and premature birth [ 4 ] is specifically high in low- and middle-income countries of the world. Similarly, studies [ 5 ] have shown that babies in the USA have different chances of surviving and thriving simply based on the circumstances of their birth, i. Our goal is ensure that every baby gets a fair chance for a healthy start in life. When the March of Dimes initiated its mission to prevent birth defects, few people realized the scope or complexity of the problem.
However, knowledge rapidly expanded through conferences sponsored by the March of Dimes to foster exchanges among researchers and scientists from diverse disciplines. The March of Dimes provided support for research and medical services in previously unexplored areas, such as the study of human chromosomes. In , the March of Dimes gave a grant to James D. The pair won the Nobel Prize in and paved the way for modern genetic medicine, including the mapping of the human genome. The March of Dimes also established a network of birth defects centers in university and teaching hospitals around the country to provide, for the first time, early diagnosis and comprehensive care for babies born with birth defects.
In the early s, March of Dimes grant funding enabled Dr. Robert Guthrie, who had developed the first newborn blood test for PKU phenylketonuria , to produce a mass screening test for the disorder.
Today, every baby born in every state in the USA receives screening for a uniform panel of conditions that can be treated soon after birth to prevent intellectual disability or death. In , the March of Dimes published the first Birth Defects Atlas and Compendium, which standardized the names and descriptions of birth defects. Also in the s, the March of Dimes initiated a regional system of neonatal intensive care units NICUs in which babies with birth defects or born prematurely could receive the best care.
Other notable accomplishments by researchers funded by the March of Dimes included the first report showing that drinking alcohol during pregnancy could cause fetal alcohol syndrome and the development of surfactant therapy for babies born with immature lungs that has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands. Also in the early s, the March of Dimes launched a new office of public affairs in Washington, DC, to coordinate advocacy for state and US federal legislation to further prevention, education, and care for babies with birth defects.
While pursuing a robust national policy agenda for birth defects prevention and care, the March of Dimes sought to raise public consciousness on birth defects and teach known ways of prevention.
The organization placed public service announcements in popular magazines and published dozens of informational materials.
In the early s, the March of Dimes launched its first program for advancing the overall health of women and babies. This program has evolved into other educational offerings for women in the workplace available today.
In , US Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing age capable of becoming pregnant consume micrograms of folic acid daily to reduce their risk for having a baby affected by an NTD. Following that, the March of Dimes launched its first national campaign urging women to take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day. March of Dimes toolkit encourages minimum. The March of Dimes, based in White Plains, NY, recently began an initiative in New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois to implement a "week toolkit" in hospitals to discourage C-sections or inductions before that minimum gestation.
The tool specifically discusses how to implement policies and the risks associated with elective early deliveries. It is part of a campaign names "Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait," which encourages women to allow labor to begin on its own if their pregnancy is healthy. It aims to dispel the myth that it's safe to schedule a delivery before 39 weeks of pregnancy without a medical need, says Judith Nolte , a member of the March of Dimes national Board of Trustees and former editor-in-chief of American Baby Magazine Group, who worked with the March of Dimes to develop the new awareness campaign.
Photo: Courtesy FedEx. Celebrities from music, film, television, and sports are lending their star power to bring greater attention to the annual March for Babies , the March of Dimes premier fundraising event that takes place in communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico this coming weekend. March for Babies supports cutting-edge research and community-based programs that help moms have full-term, healthy babies.
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