To improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, prematurity and infant mortality. The March of Dimes has launched an aggressive $75 million prematurity campaign designed to find the biological trigger in labor - in efforts to find a bridge into premature labor and reduce the alarms statistics.

Description:
Founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to defeat polio, the March of Dimes has saved millions of babies from death or disability over the years. After conquering polio, the March of Dimes shifted its focus and resources to the leading causes of death among infants - prematurity.

Currently in North Dakota - 1 in 8 babies is born premature. North Dakota ranks 4th in premature deliveries and the rate of preterm births has increased 32% in the past 20 years.

The national prematurity costs that hospitals charged in 2002 totaled over $13 billion dollars.

History:
Since conquering polio, the March of Dimes has:

• Established neonatal surgery to correct certain birth defects before a baby is born.
  
  
• Developed newborn screening tests for PKU and hypothyroidism
  
  
• Developed ultrasounds & sonograms
  
  
• Spearheaded development of surfactant therapy to save the lives of babies with respiratory distress syndrome
  
  

Contact people:

Cindy Bailey, Office Manager, (701) 235-5530, (email) Karin Roseland, State Director, (701) 235-5530, (email)

Office fax number: (701) 235-8725

Address:

1330 Page Dr Suite 102 Fargo, ND 58103 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.marchofdimes.com