The temperatures have finally subdued, indicating that fall is well underway, and I couldn’t be more excited. While some of us despise the cold weather, many of us have other perceptions of what the fall months of the year mean. For you, the fall of the year might mean the start of the holiday season, sweater-weather, or “no-shave November.” But did you know that November is the last of the four months to have only 30 days? Or how about the fact that November is Prematurity Awareness Month?
What is the Significance Prematurity Awareness Month?
A premature birth is defined as a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby’s estimated due date. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths in the United States and it is estimated that one in eight babies are born premature (AMCHP, 2018). Babies who survive premature birth are at risk of many long-term health problems such as cerebral palsy, blindness, intellectual disabilities, and many more (March of Dimes, 2018). I myself was was born prematurely, weighing only 4 lbs and 4 oz and spent the first few weeks of my life in an incubator. With premature births affecting so many families in the U.S. alone and causing long-term health issues, bringing awareness to the issue is imperative.
Thankfully, there are foundations like March of Dimes that aim to spread awareness about the occurrence and effects of premature birth to help give all babies a fighting chance. March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization founded in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt. It is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing infant mortality, birth defects, and premature birth (What Health, 2018).
Since 2003, March of Dimes has been at the forefront of Prematurity Awareness Month through its Prematurity Campaign Collaborative. The Collaborative allows for hundreds of organizations and professionals to work together to tackle the shared task to “Achieve Equity and Demonstrated Improvements in Preterm Birth,”. The Campaign activities focus on five areas: research and discovery, care innovation and community engagement, advocacy, education, and family-centered newborn intensive care units (NICUs) (March of Dimes, 2018). To learn more about the goals of the Prematurity Campaign, click here.
Signs and Symptoms of Premature Birth
March of Dimes does not only advocate for newborn and infant health, but also for maternal health. Unfortunately, even doing everything right throughout the duration of your pregnancy such as taking prenatal vitamins, monitoring your diet, and attending scheduled doctors appointments, does not guarantee that a pregnancy will go full term. In fact, the causes of premature birth are not understood; however, there are some signs and symptoms to be wary of. These signs include but or not limited to: changes in discharge such as the presence of blood or a watery consistency, stomach cramps without diarrhea, or pressure in your lower pelvis.
There are also certain factors that increase a woman’s likelihood of premature labor. Preexisting health conditions such as diabetes and depression put women at greater risk during their pregnancy. Even developing conditions such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia during pregnancy can cause serious problems for mother and child. Other risk factors include having a premature birth in the past, being pregnant with multiples, and current or previous problems with your uterus or cervix.
All months highlight and bring awareness to many social and health issues and November is no different. Non-profit foundation, March of Dimes, helps bring awareness to premature births, an issue that affects 380,000 families in the U.S. Through its Collaborative , March of Dimes funds research activities to ultimately put an end to infant mortality, birth defects, and premature births. To find out more about the March of Dimes and how you can get involved, click here!
Also, to find out information on premature birth rates in your state, click here
And to get more information about the many causes the month of November helps bring awareness to, click here