ATLANTA— The Georgia House of Representatives recognized Wednesday, March 13, 2013, as March of Dimes Day at the Georgia State Capitol in honor of the organization’s 75th anniversary. As part of the event, each of the 180 state representatives received a diaper specially made for babies born prematurely so that they could better understand the size and special needs of premature babies. The representatives then collectively agreed to donate the diapers to Grady Hospital’s nationally recognized neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“As the grandmother of three children who were born prematurely, this issue is very near and dear to my heart,” said Rep. Donna Sheldon (R-Dacula), who sponsored March of Dimes Day at the capitol. “Babies born prematurely need so much special attention, and March of Dimes works so hard to ensure they get the care they need.”
During the March of Dimes Day at the capitol, the organization gave each representative a three inch diaper to demonstrate the average size of premature babies. These diapers are about half the size of diapers used for new born full term babies, which usually measure 4 ½ to 6 ¼ inches.
“As the mother of a preemie baby born at 1 lb 3 oz, I understand the importance of the March of Dimes and the support of community stakeholders,” said Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D-Lithonia). “Finding diapers for my preemie was often a difficult task as Hannah was born almost 14 years ago, so think giving these diapers to state legislators was a much needed gesture to help others understand the unique needs of these tiny babies.”
In Georgia, one in every eight babies is born premature. In an average week 375 babies are born premature in Georgia, adding up to nearly 20,000 babies born early every year. Georgia’s preterm birth rate is currently 13.2 percent, but March of Dimes Georgia is working to reduce that number to 9.6 percent by 2020.
“For 75 years, the March of Dimes has dedicated itself to giving all children a healthy start in life,” said Sheila Ryan, State Director of the Georgia Chapter of the March of Dimes. “Here in Georgia, our goal is to continue to fight towards a reduction in preterm birth by funding cutting edge research, supporting local prenatal care programs and providing educational materials to expectants moms so that one day, all babies in our state are born healthy.”
Medical care for premature births costs more than 10 times the cost of medical care for full term babies. On average, the medical care for premature babies is nearly $50,000 in the first year of the child’s life, as compared to just over $4,000 for medical care for full term babies. The cost of premature births in the United States amounts to more than $26 trillion annually.
“As a former nurse educator, I understand the costs and challenges associated with caring for premature infants,” said Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta). “I’m happy to help bring needed attention to the work of the March of Dimes and neonatal intensive care units throughout the state, and I thank them for their efforts.”
Premature babies require special care and often spend weeks or months hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious developmental and health challenges, and are at risk for lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, lung problems, and vision and hearing loss. Grady Hospital in Atlanta is one of the few hospitals in the state of Georgia that provides this type of care to premature babies.
“We chose to donate the diapers to Grady Hospital because it has one of the best neonatal intensive care units in the region,” said Rep. Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain). “The NICU at Grady Hospital has held a special place in my heart ever since I toured the unit and saw firsthand the amazing work they do every day to save babies that are no bigger that your hand. It is an amazing facility that Georgia is lucky to have, and I am glad that we can support it in this way.”
Grady Hospital has the largest Regional Perinatal Center in Georgia and is nationally known for its neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors from all over the state send their expecting mothers to Grady for special care and testing. Grady’s Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit serves more than 40 counties in the north Georgia region, and there are approximately 550 admissions to the Grady Special Care Nurseries each year.
“We’re grateful that the March of Dimes has brought attention to the critical health needs of premature babies and their mothers,” said Lindsay Caulfield, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Grady. “Because our Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit cares for mothers and babies from across the state, we have a unique understanding of the issue and the high cost of providing such specialized care. We’re proud of our long partnership with March of Dimes to help prevent pre-term births. Together we are improving care for moms and the tiniest Georgians.”
Grady has two Special Care areas, one with 42 beds which are primarily NICU/ventilator beds, and a 27-bed Intermediate Care Area. The Grady NICU is a level 3 Neonatology Unit. Grady also uses the Angel II Neonatal Transport, which is a special mobile NICU that stabilizes and transports sick and/or premature infants to Grady to receive special care.
Since its founding in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the March of Dimes has been the leading non-profit organization for infant health in the country. The March of Dimes funded the development of two vaccines that virtually eliminated polio. Having achieved its initial mission, the organization then shifted its attention from polio to the prevention of preterm birth, the greatest contributing factor to newborns dying within their first month of life. The current mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of women of childbearing age, infants, and children by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
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