Archive for November, 2010

March of Dimes Kicks Off Prematurity Awareness Month

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day! This year the March of Dimes celebrates their 8th annual Prematurity Awareness Month.  And to kick off today, they released the 3rd annual Report Card on Preterm Birth Rates. This report gives the United States an overall grade and compares all 50 states and Puerto Rico’s rankings from last year to this year. Report Cards are based upon many health indicators which include preterm birth (percentage of births before 37 weeks), late preterm birth (percentage of births between 34 and 36 weeks), uninsured women, and women who smoke. The “grades” on each Report Card range from A-F with A being a preterm birth rate of less than or equal to 7.6 percent and an F being a preterm birth rate of greater than or equal to 13.2 percent.

To view the full report please visit:
March of Dimes 2010 Premature Birth Report Card

The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin appeared today alongside March of Dimes President, Dr. Jennifer Howse, at an event in Washington DC. Dr. Benjamin will also appear in a Public Service Announcement which was shown at today’s event.

To view the PSA please visit:
Surgeon General PSA 60sec (View Windows Media Video)
Surgeon General PSA 30sec (View Windows Media Video)

Each year over half a million babies are born preterm and do not make it to their first birthday. Across the country today, March of Dimes volunteers and staff will be holding candlelight vigils to raise awareness and bring attention to the continuing problem of premature birth.

For local events or for more information on how to get involved please visit:
March of Dimes Local Chapters

The Knowledge Path MCH Resource Library’s Latest Edition: Infant Mortality and Pregnancy Loss

The Georgetown University Maternal and Child Health Library has just released a new edition of the knowledge path. The knowledge path was made for health professionals, policymakers, researchers, and families as a guide for people to find resources on data analysis, research reports, and program descriptions around one MCH topic. The newest edition of the Knowledge Path is all about Infant Mortality and Pregnancy Loss. In this edition, readers can find resources to intervention strategies, attempts at lowering risk, bereavement support groups, and research on finding out the causes of infant mortality and pregnancy loss. Other sections feature resources on factors that contribute to infant mortality and pregnancy loss like birth defects, injuries, low birthweight and prematurity, and ways to lower the risk of infant mortality and pregnancy loss like preconception care, pregnancy and safe sleep environments.

To view the Knowledge Path online click http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_infmort.html.

A resource brief for families accompanies the Knowledge Path and is available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/families/frb_infmort.html.

The Maternal and Child Health Library provides access to current, accurate information from a full range of MCH topics. The library offers a variety of electronic resources including the MCH Alert, resource guides, databases, and other materials specifically developed for professionals and families. To view the library online, go to http://mchlibrary.info.

MCH Alert is a weekly electronic newsletter that offers the latest references to research, policy developments, recently released publications, new programs, and initiatives affecting the MCH community. To view and subscribe to MCH Alert, you can visit http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/index.html.