March of Dimes, other groups working to lower risk of premature births

Every mom remembers what she was doing when she went into labor. I know I do. My due date was still 14 weeks away. My labor was unexpected, and my twin daughters, Brinlee and Cali, were born too soon.

Their lungs weren't ready, their brains weren't ready, and combined, they spent over 200 days in the hospital's newborn intensive care unit (NICU) to get the critical care they needed to survive.

In the United States, about 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year. Premature birth is the No. 1 killer of babies, and those who survive an early birth face serious health challenges and are at risk for cerebral palsy, lung problems, vision and hearing problems and learning disabilities.

The March of Dimes is working to help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies by supporting research and educational programs. I'm a March of Dimes volunteer, and I'm helping to let other moms know what they can do to lower their risk of giving birth early so they won't have to leave the hospital like I did, while their baby stays in the NICU.

Nov. 17 is World Prematurity Day, a time for the March of Dimes and its global partners to focus attention on premature birth. Visit facebook.com/worldprematurityday to learn how you can help.

Melissa Walls

Parrish

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "March of Dimes, other groups working to lower risk of premature births ."