Must know facts for Prematurity Awareness Month

1 in 8 babies (around 543,000 babies annually) are born early, or premature. Premature births can result in dangerous problems for babies, and the March of Dimes aims to educate the public about this issue all year round, but specifically during November, which is Prematurity Awareness Month. Before we look at ways you can help prevent premature births let's look at some premature baby facts offered by the March of Dimes...

• Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns
• Even if a premature baby survives, he's still at an increased risk for lifelong disabilities. Many premature babies experience issues such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease, blindness, hearing loss and more.
• Premature doesn't mean months early. Even babies born just a little early - as little as weeks too soon, may face serious health challenges
• Premature babies cost ten times more to care for than healthy babies.
• Premature birth costs society more than $26 billion a year.
• Families with a premature baby can face untold stress, emotional conflicts and high monetary costs that they may not be able to afford.

Stay tuned this November for more about premature birth at P&B. We'll take a look at premature birth prevention ideas, community supports for parents of premature babies and more. We'll also look at the 2010 Premature Birth Report Card, which grades the nation and the states on their preterm birth rates. The March of Dimes will be releasing the new report card on November 17, to help mark the 8th annual Prematurity Awareness Day. [image © César Rincón]