March of Dimes Posters Premature Babies March of Dimes
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March of Dimes Foundation: leading the style to birth defects prevention
Public Health Reviews volume 38, Article number:12 (2017) Cite this commodity
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Birth defects are a major cause of bloodshed amid children nether five. In accordance with its mission, the March of Dimes Foundation is dedicated to reducing the toll of nativity defects on children, families, and gild. Founded in 1938 to fight polio, March of Dimes currently focuses on prevention of birth defects and preterm birth and has had a major influence on surveillance, research, advocacy, sensation, and instruction related to birth defects prevention and care. In the Us, information technology has played an active role in promoting and advocating for newborn screening for early on diagnosis and treatment of congenital disorders, folic acid fortification of grains for prevention of neural tube defects, and more than recently on raising awareness about nascency defects related to Zika virus infection. March of Dimes has played a major role in promoting prevention of birth defects globally by publishing data-based reports and papers related to the toll of nativity defects and by supporting surveillance and preconception health education programs. March of Dimes nascency defects health education materials directed for raising awareness amongst families are used worldwide. Additionally, March of Dimes had equipped health care workers and policy makers with essential information nearly nascence defects through published materials and sponsoring of conferences that allow for networking and knowledge commutation. March of Dimes remains committed to prevention of nascence defects through supporting enquiry related to causes of nascency defects, empowering women and girls with wellness knowledge, and advocating for policies and programs at national and global levels for giving every child an opportunity to attain his or her optimal level of health.
Groundwork
Close to eight million babies worldwide are built-in with a serious birth defect every yr and more than than three one thousand thousand of them die before age five [1]. Nether its current mission to better the health of babies past preventing nascency defects, premature nativity, and infant bloodshed, the March of Dimes Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization defended to reducing the price taken past nascency defects on children, families, and guild in the USA and globally.
The March of Dimes was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to gainsay epidemic polio. Within the first twenty years of its existence, the March of Dimes funded the successful development of both the Salk and Sabin vaccines against this dreaded disease, leading the way to eliminating polio from virtually of the earth.
With its longstanding history of influencing major developments to meliorate public health outcomes, the March of Dimes has committed in recent decades to improving maternal and infant wellness in the Us and globally past supporting public and professional teaching, advancement, community services, and inquiry. In 2016 solitary, the March of Dimes provided more than $5 million in funding for investigator-initiated grants for cutting-edge inquiry to identify the leading causes of birth defects and ways to better prevention and intendance.
Many March of Dimes-funded initiatives for improving the health of mothers and babies in the USA have benefitted populations effectually the world. For example, during the 1960s, March of Dimes medical manager Dr. Virginia Apgar developed the APGAR score, a system to help health professionals evaluate the physical condition of babies at nascence. Today, the APGAR score is used worldwide and serves equally a universally understood initial assessment tool to determine the health of a newborn. Dr. Apgar as well popularized the use of the term "birth defects," which remains widely used worldwide to draw congenital anomalies. Like Dr. Apgar, numerous other March of Dimes grantees over the years take paved the way to advances in research and care for affected children. Through determining the underlying causes of certain nascency defects and identifying the chance factors associated with them, the March of Dimes promotes strategies for birth defects prevention.
The March of Dimes believes that every baby should receive the all-time care possible to assistance them achieve their best health. Information technology is this belief that led us to go a prominent vocalism in advocacy for the creation and expansion of compatible newborn screening programs [2] to observe metabolic disorders and other conditions not visible at birth that may cause catastrophic health problems or decease if not diagnosed and treated immediately. Although early on diagnosis and care of affected children are essential, the March of Dimes remains a strong proponent of efforts for prevention of birth defects. For example, in the early 1990s, in response to the emerging evidence that consuming folic acid earlier pregnancy and into the first trimester could greatly reduce a woman'southward take chances of having a baby with a neural tube defect (NTD), the March of Dimes led efforts to persuade the US Nutrient and Drug Administration to require folic acid fortification of the grain food supply. As a result of the mandatory folic acid fortification in the USA, NTDs in the USA take declined past about one third since fortification began in 1998 [3].
Two landmark reports published past the March of Dimes and partners have shown that the burden of nascency defects [1] and premature nativity [4] is specifically high in low- and middle-income countries of the world. Similarly, studies [5] have shown that babies in the USA take different chances of surviving and thriving but based on the circumstances of their birth, i.e., their families' socio-economical status, race, and ethnicity, as well equally their geographic location. The March of Dimes is leading a new movement for equity by promoting health for everyone, regardless of their income, educational activity, racial/ethnic groundwork, or wellness insurance status. Our goal is ensure that every infant gets a fair take a chance for a healthy starting time in life.
Initiatives related to birth defects
Highlights of the The states-based nativity defects efforts
When the March of Dimes initiated its mission to preclude birth defects, few people realized the scope or complexity of the problem. However, knowledge rapidly expanded through conferences sponsored past the March of Dimes to foster exchanges amid researchers and scientists from diverse disciplines. I such briefing, which continued on an annual basis, is the Human being and Mammalian Genetics and Genomics Class at Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor, Maine, now in its 58th twelvemonth. The March of Dimes provided back up for research and medical services in previously unexplored areas, such as the report of human chromosomes.
In 1953, the March of Dimes gave a grant to James D. Watson who, with Francis Crick, subsequently identified the double helix structure of Dna. The pair won the Nobel Prize in 1962 and paved the mode for modern genetic medicine, including the mapping of the human being genome. The March of Dimes also established a network of birth defects centers in university and pedagogy hospitals around the country to provide, for the first time, early on diagnosis and comprehensive treat babies built-in with birth defects.
In the early 1960s, March of Dimes grant funding enabled Dr. Robert Guthrie, who had adult the first newborn blood test for PKU (phenylketonuria), to produce a mass screening test for the disorder. The March of Dimes and patient/family unit groups went on to campaign tirelessly for expanded and standardized state newborn screening programs nationwide. Today, every infant born in every state in the U.s. receives screening for a uniform panel of atmospheric condition that can be treated soon after birth to prevent intellectual disability or death.
In 1973, the March of Dimes published the first Nativity Defects Atlas and Compendium, which standardized the names and descriptions of 842 birth defects. Also in the 1970s, the March of Dimes initiated a regional system of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in which babies with birth defects or born prematurely could receive the best intendance.
Other notable accomplishments past researchers funded by the March of Dimes included the showtime report showing that drinking booze during pregnancy could cause fetal alcohol syndrome and the development of surfactant therapy for babies born with young lungs that has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands.
Also in the early 1970s, the March of Dimes launched a new office of public affairs in Washington, DC, to coordinate advocacy for state and US federal legislation to further prevention, educational activity, and intendance for babies with birth defects. The March of Dimes has had many advocacy successes over the years, including the passage of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), ensuring wellness care coverage for upwardly to v one thousand thousand children; the Nascence Defect Prevention Human action, establishing a National Middle on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; and the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. The nigh recent advocacy achievement was winning the Food and Drug Assistants's agreement to voluntary fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid to farther help reduce the incidence of NTD.
While pursuing a robust national policy agenda for nascence defects prevention and care, the March of Dimes sought to heighten public consciousness on nascence defects and teach known ways of prevention. The organization placed public service announcements in popular magazines and published dozens of advisory materials. In the early 1980s, the March of Dimes launched its first plan for advancing the overall health of women and babies. Babies & You was a prenatal education plan delivered in the workplace, with classes taught by March of Dimes staff or volunteers. This plan has evolved into other educational offerings for women in the workplace available today.
In 1992, US Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing age capable of becoming pregnant eat 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to reduce their risk for having a infant affected by an NTD. Following that, the March of Dimes launched its showtime national entrada urging women to accept a multivitamin containing folic acid every day. This important preconception health message evolved into an enhanced Folic Acid Campaign launched in 1999 in collaboration with the Centers for Affliction Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Obstetricians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Spina Bifida Association of America. Providing education for women, health intendance providers and the public to urge compliance with folic acid consumption guidelines for reducing risk of NTDs was the main focus of the campaign, which ran from 1999 to 2002. This entrada had a major bear upon in increasing awareness of the importance of preconception folic acid consumption: In 1995, only iv% of women reported knowing that folic acid can foreclose birth defects, and in 2004, 24% of women reported the same [6]. Building on this momentum, the March of Dimes and its partner organizations advocated for folic acid fortification of enriched grain products. Mandatory fortification of wheat flour became a police force in 1996, taking consequence in 1998, and resulting in a 35% decrease [iii] in the rate of NTDs in the USA from 1999 to 2011 [7].
After tremendous successes with campaigns for nativity defects prevention, the March of Dimes decided to launch a new campaign to decrease the charge per unit of preterm birth in the U.s.a. in 2003. This Prematurity Campaign supports research, education, customs service, and advancement initiatives—the aforementioned strategies that yielded so many discoveries and advances for nascence defects prevention. One of the signature programs of this Prematurity Campaign is the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Programme®, which provides comfort and information to families with a baby in the NICU, whether born preterm or with a nativity defect. More than 75,000 families in the USA each year are helped past this programme.
The March of Dimes commitment to birth defects prevention is such that nosotros are always responsive to emerging challenges. For instance, after the first article appeared in The New York Times on December 28, 2015, [8] calling attending to the Zika virus and its threat to pregnancy, the March of Dimes decided it was time to inform women and men of childbearing age and the general public about a possible Zika virus epidemic. Educational information was adult for consumers and fabricated bachelor widely on our websites at www.marchofdimes.org/zika and in Castilian on www.nacersano.org/zika. Wellness information specialists at the March of Dimes answered email queries about Zika infection and promoted prevention messages via social media. The March of Dimes held various media events to raise journalists' sensation about Zika and its potential impact on babies, and the March of Dimes became a leader in the fight against the spread of the virus. After months of intense advancement past the March of Dimes and the coalition of more than 90 organizations that nosotros headed, Congress finally passed a $1.1 billion Zika funding neb in September 2016. Working closely with the CDC and many other partners, the March of Dimes continues to promote Zika virus prevention while helping to develop information about services for families affected past Zika.
Salient global efforts related to nascence defects
In 1998, the March of Dimes decided to extend its mission globally through formation of a Global Programs Department. Although the March of Dimes does not take any international offices or staff in any other countries outside the The states, it is well-known and well-respected worldwide for its contributions to prevention of birth defects and premature birth. The March of Dimes conducts its global piece of work mainly through partnerships with international and in-land organizations that piece of work in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Kid and Adolescent Wellness (RMNCAH). As a "Non-state Actor in Official Relations" with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the March of Dimes has engaged in high-level scientific, technical, and policy discussions related to improving the health of mothers and babies globally. Additionally, we have supported and engaged local academic institutions in depression-and middle-income countries to advance the wellness of women and girls through preconception health activities [nine].
One of the major contributions of the March of Dimes globally was to bring to low-cal the high worldwide toll of birth defects through the publication in 2006 of the commencement-ever country-level estimates of serious birth defects of genetic origin with data from 193 countries [1]. This study has served to advance engagement of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in addressing the widely neglected outcome of birth defects. The written report is further believed to be the impetus for the World Health System's Nativity Defects Resolution in 2010 that urged United Nations fellow member states to engage in nascency defects awareness, surveillance, prevention, and care-related activities through development of national plans [ten].
Recognizing the demand to build chapters in lower-income countries for prevention and care related to birth defects, in 2001, March of Dimes began sponsoring a biennial International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing Globe. To engagement, these conferences have been held in Tanzania (2015), the Philippines (2013), Poland (2011), India (2009), Brazil (2007), China (2005), and Southward Africa (2001). These conferences are usually attended past 300–400 participants and serve as a platform for discussions, cognition sharing, and action. For example, the 2015 conference in Tanzania led to the publication of a consensus statement on "Prevention of Built Disorders and Intendance of Affected Children" [11] signed by over 75 conference participants. The 8th conference in this series is being planned to be held in Bogota, Republic of colombia in Nov 2017 and will address the ongoing epidemic of Zika virus-related birth defects, among other topics.
The March of Dimes is a earth-renowned leader in raising birth defects awareness. On March 3, 2015, March of Dimes joined eleven other organizations to launch the offset-ever Earth Nativity Defects Day, providing a platform for governmental and non-governmental agencies to raise sensation about birth defects globally. In 2017, the third annual Earth Birth Defects Day efforts were formally joined by close to fourscore organizations from about 35 countries that officially participated in raising awareness virtually surveillance, prevention, and care related to nativity defects. This try resulted in over 24 million impressions on Twitter and other key social media indicators related to the event.
Decision
The March of Dimes has had a critical role in raising awareness of nascency defects in the Us and globally, and has played a prominent role in influencing policies and programs for prevention of birth defects around the world. From initially coining the term "nascency defects" to advocating for mandatory folic acid fortification for prevention of NTDs, to promoting instruction for prevention of Zika virus-related nascency defects, the March of Dimes has demonstrated its leadership in the field of nascence defects.
The March of Dimes is focusing today on empowering women of childbearing historic period with wellness education. Nosotros believe that our mission to forestall birth defects and premature birth tin can be fully realized only past enabling women to ameliorate their ain wellness and that of their families. This has led u.s.a. to develop health education information in plain language for women of childbearing age in both English language and Spanish. We achieve women globally through a diversity of media, including print, spider web, video, and social media. Nosotros have trained health information specialists who answer questions and provide information through a variety of online channels. In depression- and middle-income countries, we support programs for improving preconception wellness knowledge of women and girls in schools, workplaces, and communities. And in addition to consumer education, we have created tools and resources for health intendance professionals, healthcare organizations, and policymakers that are used worldwide.
Throughout its nearly 80 years of being, the March of Dimes has maintained iii cadre values: bringing science into service for people, edifice the public trust, and harnessing the power of volunteers. These core values go on to guide March of Dimes staff, volunteers, and corporate sponsors to support customs service programs, advocacy, research, and education on birth defects prevention and care. Until we observe ways to solve these conditions, we will non cease our efforts to improve the quality of life for all those who are afflicted by them.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Michele Kling, Todd Dezen, and Csilla Ver for their assistance with the grooming of this paper.
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Walani, South.R., Biermann, J. March of Dimes Foundation: leading the style to birth defects prevention. Public Health Rev 38, 12 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-017-0058-3
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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-017-0058-3
Keywords
- March of Dimes
- Birth defects
- Preterm birth
- Babies
- Zika
- Prematurity
Source: https://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40985-017-0058-3
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