Studies have shown that premature births in the U.S. have been on the rise over the past decade, but the March of Dimes hopes to curb that.
The nonprofit organization held a seminar Thursday at the University Hilton to inform black women about prenatal care and premature birth prevention.
"This country spends $24 billion to care for babies," Executive Director for the Houston Division of the March of Dimes Richard Jennings said. "Half of that is used to care for premature births, and 20 percent will have life-long medical issues."
The seminar marked Houston’s debut of the Honey Child Prenatal Education Project, which the organization started in January.
Approximately one in eight children are born prematurely, according to the March of Dimes.
"The goal is to get community leaders, legislatures, scientists and researchers and pastors to make an impact," Baylor College of Medicine associate professor of pediatrics Charleta Guillory said.
The organization began the project with the help of the Greater Mount Tabor Christian Center in Fort Worth in order to educate women about babies born prematurely, which can lead to increased susceptibility to illnesses and a higher mortality rate. In Texas, the rate of premature babies born is about one in seven, while black women experience nearly twice that number, according to the March of Dimes.
Dawn Lord, chairwoman of the March of Dimes Steering Committee for African-American Outreach, said that the organization intends to use meetings to teach women about nutrition, relations, exercise, prenatal care, self-esteem, labor and delivery. The meetings about self-esteem are meant to lower the mother’s stress and build confidence about giving birth, Lord said.
"Six to 10 women with similar due dates are grouped together with the intent to bond," she said. "Self care is also stressed with mothers. They learn to take blood pressure and identify changes in their weight."
While other programs have been similarly organized, Honey Child provides mentorship outside of church.
To be involved in the program as mentors, volunteers must be mothers and are required to be members of affiliated churches so they can give expecting mothers advice through one-on-one weekly sessions.
Originally founded in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the organization was created to combat polio epidemics during the 1920s and 1930s.
The phrase "march of dimes" was coined by comedian Eddie Cantor as a spoof of the "March of Time" newsreels. Cantor said that people should send dimes directly to the White House.
In 1979, however, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis was officially renamed the March of Dimes.
For more information, visit the national March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com.
