Will You Walk for Babies?by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger 19 Feb 2008 07:28 AM The March of Dimes has recently revamped itself and is now the March for Babies--but the founding principle is the same. Marchers get sponsors to donate money to help for research to improve the quality of life of disabled and premature babies. Most marches are taking place April 27 and now is the time to sign up. Will you march? Prematurity In the United States, prematurity affects approximately 10% of families. I had never contemplated it much until I got pregnant with twins. At 24 weeks, we were told to prepare for birth in as early as 7 weeks. That would put me only at 33 weeks--and that was too early! Thankfully, our twins were full term, but not all families can tell the same story. Premature babies often suffer life long consequences from being born too early. Participating in something like the March for Babies helps fund research that will help these babies. Current Research Current research includes finding out why women give birth early. Scientists know that there are a variety of factors that lead women to give birth early--maternal or fetal stress, an overstretched uterus, bleeding, and infections or inflammation. By finding out why women may give birth early and then targeting treatments for women who are at risk, we may be able to help babies who are at risk by keeping them in the womb longer. Research is also being funded on how to make the NICU environment as nurturing as possible. From playing Vivladi to designing 'womb rooms', doctors, and medical researchers are finding ways to counter balance the effects of being born prematurely. Premature babies are at risk for death, chronic lung problems, hearing problems, vision problems, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and studies even suggest that adults who were preemies are at risk for mental health disorders. Funding research to help the 1,400 babies who will be born premature today is a step in the right direction. I hope that if you're not walking, you would consider donating. You can find out more information on the March for Babies website.
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