The March of Dimes: Helping Families Have Healthy Babies

Headquartered in White Plains, New York, the March of Dimes is dedicated to helping mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. The non-profit organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to combat polio, which he struggled with personally. With the disease on the rise at that time, the foundation launched a polio patient aid program and funded research for vaccines, which effectively ended the epidemic in the US.

After accomplishing its original mission, the March of Dimes shifted its focus to preventing infant mortality and birth defects. Since then, the organization has led the way to promote newborn screening, discover the genetic causes of birth defects, and educate the public and medical professionals about best practices for healthy pregnancy.

In the United States, more than half a million babies are born prematurely each year and the premature birth rate has increased by 36 percent over the last 25 years. Across the world, 15 million babies are born too soon annually. Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns, and babies born a few weeks early have a higher risk of developing health problems and lifelong disabilities. In addition, premature birth costs society over $26 billion every year.

The March of Dimes is working to address the crisis both at home and abroad. In 2003, the March of Dimes introduced the Prematurity Campaign to help American families have healthy babies. The campaign was expanded globally five years later. Through the Prematurity Campaign, the March of Dimes supports lifesaving research and advocates for legislation that improves care for mothers and babies.

The March of Dimes has also launched Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait (HBWW), a comprehensive initiative to prevent preventable preterm birth with a focus on reducing elective early deliveries. HBWW comprises an education and awareness campaign, community intervention, and hospital quality improvement programs.