March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign

Every year, more than 13 million babies are born too soon worldwide. More than half a million of them are born right here in the United States. Since 1990, our rate of premature birth has gone up by 20 percent. Despite advances that give even the tiniest babies a chance of survival, premature birth often remains a life-threatening condition.

Premature birth is the number one cause of death during the first month of life. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities. Millions of children have trouble keeping up in school because they were born prematurely.

Many people don’t realize just how serious the problem is until they or someone they love has a premature baby. Awareness is the first step to solving the problem.

Of particular note: November 17 is World Prematurity Day and when the March of Dimes and our global partners take on the Web and the world to show how widespread premature birth is. Join us on Facebook and Twitter to make this global effort visible.