Leesburg Family Takes Premature Birth Message to White House

Along with the Hoffman family of Weston, Fla., the Hall family of Leesburg are ambassadors for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that works to prevent premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality.

“These brave families told the President that premature birth can happen to anyone, and when it does happen, it exacts a huge toll emotionally, physically and financially on families and the country,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. “We need to invest more federal funding in research that will stop the rising incidence of preterm birth.”

Six-year-old Katelyn Hall was born at only 25 weeks (40 weeks is considered a normal pregnancy) and was given a 5 percent chance of surviving. After a five-month stay in newborn intensive care and more than $1 million in medical bills, Katelyn’s parents Ashley and Michael Hall were finally able to bring her home.

Premature birth has increased more than 36 percent in the last 25 years in the United States, and now affects 540,000 babies annually. It is the leading cause of newborn death and costs the nation more than $26 billion annually in health care costs, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

 

Facts About Premature Birth

On a given day more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. (1 in 8) will be born prematurely. Many are too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death; however, most, eventually, go home.

Even the best of care cannot always spare a premature baby from lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease and vision and hearing problems. Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth.

Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery.

This year, The March of Dimes graded states by comparing each state’s rate of premature birth to the nation’s objective of 7.6 percent or less by 2010. Virginia’s grade: D (12.1 percent rate of premature births).

For more information on premature birth visit marchofdimes.com.