The Battle Against Premature Births

While medical advances in general make the news every day, the premature birth rate continues to climb and experts aren't sure why or how to stop it.

 



By Michelle Apuzzio

 



Instead of gazing at two adorable baby boys swaddled in blue and sleeping peacefully in their bassinets, Marla Wolk and her husband kept vigil in the intensive care ward as their premature sons, born at 26 weeks, shrank to 1 pound each. The Wolks wondered if they should even decorate their home nursery.

 



After a miscarriage and a molar pregnancy in which placental tissues form abnormally, Marla Wolk received the disheartening diagnosis of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a blood circulation disorder sometimes fatal to both fetuses, during her pregnancy in 2003.

 



Oliver and Ian are thriving 3-year-olds now, but their parents carry with them the memory of those tense first months.

 



While medical advances in general make the news every day, the premature birth rate continues to climb and experts aren't sure why or how to stop it.

 



  • Nationally, the premature birth rate has risen by more than 30 percent in the last 20 years.

  • The rate of premature birth for African-American mothers is particularly high, accounting for about 18 percent of African-American births in 2002, (compared to 11 percent of white, 11.6 percent of Hispanic births).

  • Premature birth is blamed for 75 percent of neonatal deaths and 50 percent of neurological disorders nationwide. Babies born too soon are also at higher risk for developmental delays, vision and hearing difficulties, chronic respiratory issues and cerebral palsy.


The March of Dimes has partnered with several medical associations to achieve its goal of reducing premature births by 2010. Currently, research is focusing on:

 






Little Babies, Big Numbers



Premature birth is the leading killer of newborns under 1 month old:



  • 500,000 - Number of U.S. babies born premature each year

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