Nearly one in five African-American babies in Newark is born too soon, and a new community-based program announced aims to help more of these babies be born healthy and full-term.

March of Dimes launched Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, a program to reduce preterm births in Newark.  Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait is a partnership of the March of Dimes, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, the City of Newark Department of Child and Family Well Being, Newark Beth Israel, UMDNJ – The University Hospital and Newark Community Health Centers, conducted in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson.

The primary goal of this partnership in Newark is to reduce the rate of singleton (one baby) preterm birth with particular concern for reducing preterm birth within the African-American community. The March of Dimes has been working with prenatal care providers and community-based organizations to select interventions and develop materials specifically for African-American women.

African-American women are more than one and a half times as likely to have a preterm baby compared to white women; and disparities persist even when age, education and other demographics are considered. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2009, the preterm birth rate in Newark for African-American women was 18.6 percent, while the overall rate for the city was 16.5 percent — both substantially higher than the statewide preterm birth rate of 12 percent.

In Newark the preterm birth rate is more than 66 percent higher among African-Americans babies when compared to non-Hispanic whites. ”Preventing preterm birth saves babies’ lives and opens up a healthy future for them and their families,” said LaVerne Council, chair of the March of Dimes Board of Trustees.

“Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait will offer more New Jersey moms, especially African-American moms who are at greater risk, the best information and services geared especially for them.”

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait provides education for perinatal providers, pregnant women, and the greater Newark community on the problem of preterm birth, its risk factors and strategies for reducing risk.  Additionally, it provides a supportive structure for implementing bundled evidence-based clinical and public health interventions to reduce preterm birth.

HBWW-Newark works to increase early entry into prenatal care by building strong collaborations among the health department, healthcare providers and community organizations as only 55% of African-American women receive prenatal care within the first trimester.

“Preparing for a new baby should be a time of great excitement,” said Mary O’Dowd, New Jersey Health and Senior Services Commissioner. “Premature birth is the number one obstetrical problem in the U.S. and African-American women in particular, across all socioeconomic groups, are at a much greater risk of delivering their babies too soon.  Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait aims to help prevent preterm births with a model that combines clinical, educational and community efforts to improve overall systems of care.”

“I am proud to be working with the March of Dimes to implement Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait inNewark,” said Newark City Council woman Mildred Crump. “Culturally competent prenatal care and education messages are vital to improving birth outcomes in our city.”

“Johnson & Johnson is committed to improving the health of mothers and babies worldwide.  Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait has proven that community-based programs can reduce pre-term birth rates. We are excited to be a partner in this project which focuses on a particularly vulnerable group of mothers and babies right here in New Jersey,” said Joy Marini, Director, Corporate Contributions, Johnson & Johnson.

The Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait program is an important component of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, a nationwide effort to address the growing problem of premature birth, the leading cause of newborn death and a major cause of serious health problems. Prematurity costs U.S. society 26 billion dollars every year. The March of Dimes also funds research to find the causes of premature birth.

“I thank the March of Dimes for marshaling their considerable reputation and resources to address the critical issue of preterm birth in African-American women,” said New Jersey State Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “Like other March of Dimes efforts, I have no doubt this new community-based program will raise awareness and prove tremendously effective.”

In 2007 in Kentucky, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait began as a demonstration project of the March of Dimes, the Kentucky Department of Health and the Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute. Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait is now a signature program of the March of Dimes with 13 sites nationwide in Kentucky, Texas, and New Jersey.

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Nearly one in five African-American babies in Newark is born too soon, and a new community-based program announced today aims to help more of these babies be born healthy and full-term.

The March of Dimes has launched Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, a program to reduce preterm births in Newark.  Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait is a partnership of the March of Dimes, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, the City of Newark Department of Child and Family Well Being, Newark Beth Israel, UMDNJ – The University Hospital and Newark Community Health Centers, conducted in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson.

The primary goal of this partnership in Newark is to reduce the rate of singleton (one baby) preterm birth with particular concern for reducing preterm birth within the African-American community. The March of Dimes has been working with prenatal care providers and community-based organizations to select interventions and develop materials specifically for African-American women.

African-American women are more than one and a half times as likely to have a preterm baby compared to white women; and disparities persist even when age, education and other demographics are considered. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2009, the preterm birth rate in Newark for African-American women was 18.6 percent, while the overall rate for the city was 16.5 percent — both substantially higher than the statewide preterm birth rate of 12 percent.

In Newark the preterm birth rate is more than 66 percent higher among African-Americans babies when compared to non-Hispanic whites. ”Preventing preterm birth saves babies’ lives and opens up a healthy future for them and their families,” said LaVerne Council, chair of the March of Dimes Board of Trustees.

“Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait will offer more New Jersey moms, especially African-American moms who are at greater risk, the best information and services geared especially for them.”

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait provides education for perinatal providers, pregnant women, and the greater Newark community on the problem of preterm birth, its risk factors and strategies for reducing risk.  Additionally, it provides a supportive structure for implementing bundled evidence-based clinical and public health interventions to reduce preterm birth.

HBWW-Newark works to increase early entry into prenatal care by building strong collaborations among the health department, healthcare providers and community organizations as only 55% of African-American women receive prenatal care within the first trimester.

“Preparing for a new baby should be a time of great excitement,” said Mary O’Dowd, New Jersey Health and Senior Services Commissioner. “Premature birth is the number one obstetrical problem in the U.S. and African-American women in particular, across all socioeconomic groups, are at a much greater risk of delivering their babies too soon.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait aims to help prevent preterm births with a model that combines clinical, educational and community efforts to improve overall systems of care.” ”I am proud to be working with the March of Dimes to implement Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait in Newark,” said Newark City Councilwoman Mildred Crump. “Culturally competent prenatal care and education messages are vital to improving birth outcomes in our city.”

“Johnson & Johnson is committed to improving the health of mothers and babies worldwide.  Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait has proven that community-based programs can reduce pre-term birth rates. We are excited to be a partner in this project which focuses on a particularly vulnerable group of mothers and babies right here in New Jersey,” said Joy Marini, Director, Corporate Contributions, Johnson & Johnson.

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The March of Dimes campaign to reduce medically unnecessary early deliveries is being elevated to the forefront of the nation’s maternal and child health agenda.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the launch of Strong Start, a multi-faceted perinatal health campaign.  This public-private partnership includes expansion of “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” — the March of Dimes public awareness campaign to let women and health care providers know that if a pregnancy is healthy, it is best to wait for labor to begin on its own, rather than scheduling an induction of labor or a cesarean section.

“Premature birth is a serious health problem, and the public and private collaboration that will be generated by the Strong Start program is the single most important step forward to date in our nation’s prematurity prevention efforts,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, March of Dimes president. “Working together to eliminate medically unnecessary early deliveries will reduce the emotional and financial burden of prematurity for thousands of families.”

Nearly a half million babies are born too soon each year in the United States. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and other health challenges. Recent research has shown that important development of an infant’s brain and lungs occur during the last few weeks of pregnancy.   Babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness compared to full-term infants.

Through its “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” public awareness campaign, the March of Dimes educates women that if their pregnancy is healthy, it is best to wait for labor to begin on its own. The March of Dimes also is working with hospitals to implement best practices that discourage early elective deliveries before at least 39 completed weeks of gestation.

The March of Dimes awareness campaign includes television, online and print public service advertising, as well as patient education materials.  Through Strong Start, these will be co-branded with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and distributed more widely.

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When Shalini and Shane Wittstruck of Seattle, Washington were told their baby would be born more than two months premature, they were forced to face the possibility that he might die or suffer lifelong health complications. But against all odds, their son, Kieran, has grown into a healthy 5-year-old boy who is the March of Dimes 2012 National Ambassador, it was announced January 17.

“Never did we imagine pregnancy as a life or death event. Then, one day, our lives and our expectations changed,” said Shalini Wittstruck. As National Ambassador, Kieran will travel the country with his parents, representing thousands of families around the United States whose children have survived prematurity.

The Wittstrucks will tell Kieran’s amazing story and help raise awareness of premature birth, as part of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, which seeks to educate pregnant women about preterm birth, provide information and comfort to parents of babies in newborn intensive care units, expand access to health insurance for women of childbearing age, and reduce the preterm birth rate.  Watch a video of the Wittstrucks and hear more about their amazing story below:

Kieran,who will be six in March, was born at 31 weeks of pregnancy, weighing only three pounds, one ounce. While their story has a happy ending, the Wittstrucks understand that not all premature babies are as fortunate as Kieran. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and 1 in 8 US babies is born too soon.

Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other health challenges. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. Many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until a baby is full-term.

The Wittstrucks do not know why Kieran was born too soon, but they hope the research and work of the March of Dimes continues so that one day more babies will get a healthy start in life. When Kieran was born, his parents were given worst-case scenarios from the doctors. ”I will never forget the sound of Kieran’s first cry. It’s etched in my memory forever,” said Shalini. “Doctors warned me that he might not survive, and I thought I would never hear him.”

As a newborn, Kieran frequently stopped breathing while he slept and fell asleep while eating, which made it difficult for him to gain the weight he needed to safely leave the newborn intensive care unit.  A heart murmur was found, as was a cyst in his brain. After an emotional 31 days in the hospital, Kieran was finally able to go home once he weighed almost five pounds.

Despite his premature birth and initial health complications, Kieran is now a healthy and active five year old.  He is a leader among his friends and frequently invents games and machines.  Kieran has great aspirations and thinks that one day he would like to be an engineer or a pilot.

The Wittstruck family believes the research funded by the March of Dimes resulted in their son’s well-being and significantly improved his odds of survival.  They are encouraging everyone to participate in the March of Dimes signature fundraising event March for Babies. This year, more than 7 million people will join their family, friends, and colleagues in 900 communities to March for Babies across the nation.

The money raised by March for Babies supports community-based programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies’ lives. ”I didn’t think it would happen to me – but it did,” said Shalini, who is an employee of Cigna, a longtime March of Dimes national sponsor. “We need the March of Dimes to help understand what causes preterm birth, so that it doesn’t happen to others.”

The March of Dimes National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission. United Airlines, who recently joined with Continental Airlines to create the world’s leading airline, will continue to serve as the official airline sponsor of the March of Dimes National Ambassador Program for the seventh consecutive year.

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According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health conducted by doctors at the University of Michigan, one in two women of childbearing age in the United States is considered overweight or obese.

Weight-related complications during pregnancy are commonplace and healthcare providers are trying to dismiss the idea that pregnant women need to “eat for two” by doubling their caloric intake. Working with a healthcare provider, overweight women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant can find a strategy to a healthy weight gain that works for them.

Increased risk of developing gestational diabetes is a crucial reason for overweight women to closely monitor how much weight they gain during pregnancy. Gestation diabetes causes the hormones released from the placenta, the baby’s support system, to be blocked by the woman’s body.

The result is that her body is unable to process insulin. High blood glucose levels build in the mother’s system and stream to the baby through the placenta causing the baby to grow rapidly and gain unnecessary weight.

Overweight pregnant women are also at risk of developing high blood pressure. This condition tightens the blood vessels in the uterus that supplies the baby with oxygen and nutrients. It also puts the mother at risk for having a heart attack or stroke resulting in a greater likelihood that she will deliver her baby early.

Having regular checkups before becoming pregnant may help prevent obesity related complication during pregnancy. The March of Dimes recommends, “If you’re overweight or obese, your health care provider or a registered dietitian can help you lose pounds so that you reach a healthier weight before trying to get pregnant. They will talk with you about exercise and eating healthy.”

What is the correct amount of weight gain? The amount a woman’s health care provider recommends will depend on her pre-pregnancy weight. If she has a normal weight and a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range (between 18.5 and 25) then she should gain between 25 and 35 pounds.

Underweight women, with a BMI less than 18.5, should try to gain between 28 to 40 pounds. Overweight women, with a BMI between 25 and 29.9, should gain between 15 to 25 pounds and obese women, those with a BMI greater than 30, should limit their weight gain to between 11 and 20 pounds.

Women who are overweight or obese should not intentionally try to lose weight while they are pregnant however it is not uncommon for plus-sized women to lose weight while pregnant without dieting. Morning sickness can contribute to weight loss because its diminished affect on appetite and associated vomiting can cause a loss of calories.

Even so, a developing baby will still get nourishment if a mother is not dieting because overweight women have an extra reserve of calories stored in fat.

Healthy eating should be a goal of every pregnant woman, regardless of her pre-pregnancy weight. Setting a goal for how much weigh to gain with a health care provider is the key to ensuring a successful, healthy pregnancy.

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