News Moms Need

In 1952, James Watson was an unknown scientist who applied to the March of Dimes for a fellowship proposing research on X-ray diffraction patterns of proteins and nucleic acids. Knowing that the March of Dimes funded basic science as well as polio prevention, Watson hoped that the grant he would receive might enable him to conduct a year of research and cover his lab expenses. His modest grant award of $5,678, roughly equivalent to $50,000 today, led to one of the most momentous discoveries of the age. On April 25, 1953 Watson and his colleague Francis Crick published “A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid” in the journal Nature. The field of molecular genetics was launched. They had discovered the double-helical structure of DNA.

Much has been written about Watson and Crick’s famous discovery, for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1962. Their path-breaking research vastly expanded the field of genetics, leading to knowledge unimaginable in their day. Their accomplishment also prefigured what the March of Dimes would do next. After funding the vaccines that brought the scourge of polio to a halt, the Foundation turned to the riddle of birth defects, knowing that the keys of genetics would open further doors to this intractable problem.

By the 1960s, the March of Dimes sponsored birth defects and clinical genetics conferences to keep medical professionals up-to-date with progress in the field. We helped to develop a universal standardized language (the karyotype) to describe human chromosomes. At a March of Dimes conference in 1969, Dr. Victor McKusick proposed that science might create a molecular map of all genes. His idea sparked the March of Dimes to organize a series of human gene mapping workshops that ultimately led to the Human Genome Project of the 1990s.

Our interest in genetics goes beyond science itself to assisting individuals and families. We have developed the field of genetic counseling to help parents and parents-to-be understand the risks of inherited disorders. We helped to establish the first master’s degree program in genetic counseling at a U.S. college. In the 1980s we sponsored an educational program on Genetic Decision Making and Pastoral Care, enabling clergy from different religions to understand the complexities of genetics in order to give appropriate counseling to concerned families. At the same time, our funding of scientific research has remained fundamental. Our grantees have identified the gene for Fragile X Syndrome and have created therapies for other life-threatening disorders.

As we note the 60th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s famous article on the double helix of DNA, we look forward to a time when birth defects and premature birth have receded into the past just as polio has done. Our steadfast commitment to “stronger, healthier babies” is grounded in the building blocks of genetics that help us identify the causes of disease.

This week, April 21-27, is National Volunteer Week and we want to give an enormous shout out to all our wonderful volunteers. These are the extraordinary folks who make this organization great.

More than 3 million volunteers enable the March of Dimes to achieve its goals. Every year, these leaders march more than 5 million miles, speak to tens of thousands of people about the mission and help raise millions of dollars. From the very earliest days, volunteers have been full partners in the March of Dimes, working to raise funds, heighten awareness and implement critical programs to help support our mission.

This diverse group of volunteers, led by a local volunteer leadership of approximately 3,000 chapter and division board members, brings knowledge, business experience and passion to ensure the March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  We celebrate their leadership and that of our corporate partners and national service partners! We also have bright and energetic youth councils working in high schools and colleges. We have had celebrity volunteers from the early years (Eddie Cantor, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley…) to today’s hot tickets like Pink, Dee Snider, and Thalia!

With the support of these exceptional, high-impact volunteers, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Thank you all so, SO much for what you do during this special week and all throughout the year!

Dr. Boyle of the CDC

Did you know that 1 in 33 babies born in the U.S. has a birth defect?

Most people don’t realize how common these conditions are. Every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born in the United States with a major birth defect. These conditions are common, costly and critical.  In fact, birth defects are a leading cause of death in the first year of life.  And, for affected babies who survive and live with these conditions, birth defects increase the risk for long-term disabilities. Birth defects not only impact babies born with these conditions; they also have an emotional and financial impact on their families and communities.

The good news is that we’ve learned a lot about what might increase the risk for birth defects. For example, we know that taking certain medications, having uncontrolled diabetes, smoking cigarettes, or drinking alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk for birth defects.  We also know that certain things, like consuming folic acid daily before and during early pregnancy, can reduce the risk for major birth defects.  The CDC continues to study the causes of birth defects, look for ways to prevent them, and work to improve the lives of people living with these conditions.

Each year, MOD and the CDC join many organizations to recognize January as National Birth Defects Prevention Month. Please join us for an online chat on what we’ve learned about preventing birth defects. We’ll highlight birth defects research over the years and provide tips for a healthy pregnancy. We hope you can join Dr. Colleen Boyle, Director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, on Thursday, January 10, at 1PM EST. The hashtag is #1in33chat.

It’s important to remember that many birth defects happen very early during pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant, so planning a pregnancy and working to get healthy before becoming pregnant can make a difference.

Written By: Cynthia A. Moore, M.D., Ph.D. Director
Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Working with our partners, the March of Dimes strives to develop and implement local programs that will ultimately improve the health of babies. Through our network of chapters and volunteers, these programs reach over a million people across the country and Puerto Rico each year. We provide information and services designed to prevent premature birth and birth defects and to promote healthy pregnancies.

Community grants are awarded annually to fund the best programs. Local programs like Centering Pregnancy®, group prenatal care, are focused on improving the availability and quality of health care. We also support services that help promote the health and well-being of women and couples before pregnancy to increase their chances of having a healthy baby. Other programs educate doctors and nurses about reducing the rates of elective labor inductions and c-sections before the 39th week of pregnancy.

Through NICU Family Support®, we provide information and comfort to families coping with the experience of having a baby in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). NICU Family Support complements and enhances family-centered care practices in partner hospitals, addresses the needs of families and provides professional development to NICU staff.

Contact your local chapter of the March of Dimes to find out how we’re helping moms in your community.

Join us on Twitter for a chat with U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, on TUES 11/20 at 1pm ET. We’ll be talking about how completing a family health history can help give babies a healthy start in life.  National Family History Day is part of the Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative. 

Understanding your family health history is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for pregnant women, new moms or couples thinking about starting a family.  Knowing both parents’ family health histories can help identify risk for genetic conditions, birth defects, or preterm birth.

Follow the chat using #familyhealthhistory and join the conversation by following on Twitter, @marchofdimes or @SGRegina.

In its drive to promote healthy pregnancy, the March of Dimes considers every avenue of outreach. This has included cordial ties with U.S. Armed Forces in order to support military families. Historically, our earliest years coincided with the global catastrophe of World War II when our founder – President Franklin D. Roosevelt – was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. In that troubled time, our military ties were many and various. An early research grant went to Drs. John Paul and Albert Sabin to find out why American GIs in Egypt contracted polio when native populations seemed immune to the disease. The Foundation created a fund-raising unit that coordinated its annual “March of Dimes” campaigns with all branches of the military. Our Armed Forces Division was so popular that top brass such as Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Admiral Chester Nimitz wrote enthusiastic public messages of support for our fight against polio.

After the war, the most conspicuous military program was the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). MATS was a standing agreement of the March of Dimes with the U.S. Air Force to airlift iron lung respirators to epidemic areas and even individuals with paralytic polio to hospitals for special care. In one case, MATS cargo aircraft shipped iron lungs to a polio epidemic in Japan in 1961. With the advent of the Salk polio vaccine developed with March of Dimes funds, the Foundation ensured that military personnel were protected from the polio virus. Military personnel and their families from the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard dispensary to the U.S. Army Hospital at West Point participated in March of Dimes polio vaccination programs.

When the March of Dimes turned toward birth defects prevention in the 1960s, our involvement with the military also turned in a new direction. We then maintained on staff an official liaison to the military as we broadened our approach to birth defects by focusing on all the determinants of healthy pregnancy. And, in our examination of the genetic causes of birth defects, we provided advice to Viet Nam era veteran groups about medical and genetic counseling for victims of Agent Orange. Our relationship to the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been mutually supportive for decades, and several March of Dimes national ambassadors have been members of military families. One of these, Cody Groce, was very proud to appear with Gen. Colin Powell at our National Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, DC in 1998. Our most recent effort in support of military families has been our involvement in Operation Shower.

In the darkest days of World War II, FDR offered these words to characterize his understanding of the March of Dimes mission: “Nothing is closer to my heart than the health of our boys and girls and young men and young women. It is one of the front lines of national defense.” With this impetus, the March of Dimes went on to defeat polio and launch a new mission against birth defects and prematurity. FDR’s original sentiment bears close resemblance to our passionate quest for “stronger, healthier babies” today.

Note on photo: Sailors in formation spell out “March of Dimes” on board aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1962

During my pregnancy, I have lots of family and friends who want to share thoughtful advice. I know people mean well, but it’s sometimes confusing when their thoughts conflict with what other family, friends, my health provider and even my gut say. Alcohol seems to be the topic that most of my friends and family differ. Some say the occasional drink is OK; others (including my OB) say absolutely NO to alcohol.

A recent series of Danish studies are adding to the confusion. The researchers looked at several studies that tracked women during their pregnancies and followed their children up to age 5. The Danish studies suggested that the women who took part in light drinking in early pregnancy may not have caused serious problems in these children. However, the researchers warn that much more research needs to be done because there’s still no amount of alcohol that is considered safe.

So while I’m pregnant with my second baby and have the occasional friend tell me it’s OK to have that glass of red with dinner every once in a while, I say to myself, “why take the chance?” The best gift I can give my baby is a healthy start in life. And if that means I have to pass on the sangria this summer, to me, it’s worth it.

March for Babies is always an exciting event, and its origins are hidden in plain sight. March for Babies thrives thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of individuals, families, and organizations committed to our cause of saving babies. Yet the format of the event – people assembling in public to walk a prescribed route and raise money – remains the same year after year. Why is it a successful event? What makes it so popular? Where did it come from? 

Until 2008, March for Babies had been known as WalkAmerica, but long before that it flourished in March of Dimes chapter events called “walk-a-thons.” The idea first caught fire in San Antonio, Texas and Columbus, Ohio in late 1970, and chapters across the country duplicated the event with stunning success.  Though we date March for Babies from 1970, there were actually earlier walks organized by teens in Alabama and Georgia in 1966, and a 100-mile trek by young walkers in Tennessee in 1965. These precursors had one constant – they were organized by youth, members of the March of Dimes Teen-Age Program (TAP) that blossomed in the Sixties.

The social turmoil that characterized the 1960s brought countless people into the streets to voice their protest or to support a cause. The waves of social activism of the Sixties youth movement spilled over into positive areas of commitment, and the March of Dimes capitalized on this to capture youthful energy to “protest” against birth defects. The motto of TAP was “Go MOD,” and March of Dimes teens percolated with fresh ideas to raise money. By the early Seventies, walk-a-thons of 25 or 26 miles were customary, and completing the full marathon course earned any walker entry into the “Order of the Battered Boot.”

Another impetus for the walks was fitness and health, specifically aerobic exercise. In 1968, Kenneth Cooper, MD authored a popular book titled Aerobics. “Aerobics” was then a new word that described a concept of cardio-vascular health, and Dr. Cooper engaged the March of Dimes and other health agencies in San Antonio in 1969 to put this concept into action by holding a public walking event. One year later, the San Antonio chapter held an independent walk-a-thon, and astronaut John Glenn participated a few weeks later in the Columbus walk. The phenomenal success of these initial efforts culminated in the nationally organized event the March of Dimes began to call WalkAmerica a decade later.

Why do we walk in March for Babies? That’s an easier question to answer. Most people do so because they believe in and/or are connected to our mission of saving babies and preventing prematurity. But the historical background of walking to publicize a life-affirming cause, and thereby staying fit through aerobic exercise, are behind our many individual reasons. March for Babies remains an energetic and enlivening way to say how much we care about babies – it’s fun, it promotes health, and it makes a difference!

I hope to see you out walking with us this weekend!

I can play tic-tac-toe in the pollen that’s covering my car. I have to admit that I love looking at the trees while their leaves burst forth, but the green and yellow tumbleweed they generate gets blown around by traffic and makes my morning commute the beginning of a pollen-producing head pounder.

If this happens to you and you’re thinking of being tested for allergies but hope to become pregnant soon, either test before you become pregnant or wait until after you have your baby. Allergy skin testing is not done during pregnancy because there is a small risk that anaphylaxis may occur. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can include hives, swelling of the tongue and throat, possibly loss of consciousness. During pregnancy, a severe case of anaphylaxis might decrease blood and oxygen flowing to the uterus, possibly harming the fetus.

If you already are taking allergy shots, tell your provider you’re thinking about pregnancy. Depending on your personal situation, your doc may choose to continue the shots full strength, dilute them to 50% or discontinue them. It’s good to have a plan in place before you conceive.

In the meantime, what can you do? Always ask your provider what’s safe for you before taking something. As a general rule, nasal saline (salt water) is good for keeping your nasal passages moist and helping you blow away the nasties. Nasal steroids should be avoided unless prescribed by your doc. Many antihistamines generally are considered safe to use. Decongestants, however, should be avoided during the first trimester due to a possible association with an intestinal defect in the fetus.

If you have a question about the safety of a medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding (over-the-counter or prescription), contact OTIS, the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists.

In one of the most significant fundraising achievements by one company for a singular cause, Kmart announced it has reached the $100 million fundraising milestone in support of March of Dimes. After nearly three decades of charitable giving by its customers and associates, March of Dimes will recognize Kmart for its fundraising efforts with a $1 million grant for transdisciplinary research into premature birth in honor of the retailer. The grant will help fund clinical studies with scientists from different fields working together to investigate areas including maternal genetic biomarkers, placental function and genetics, and the patterns of preterm births in the U.S., among others.

As part of Kmart’s ongoing commitment to children’s health and wellness, the retailer will collaborate with March of Dimes for the 29th consecutive year to raise funds to help improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

“We are delighted to have reached such a remarkable fundraising milestone, with $100 million raised, to help improve the health of babies tomorrow,” said Lou D’Ambrosio, CEO and president, Sears Holdings. “Our associates and customers have proven the very principle on which March of Dimes was founded—that many people giving a little can make a tremendous impact. But, we can’t stop here. We challenge everyone to contribute in some way today, one small act of kindness, because together we can make an enormous difference.”

As the March of Dimes’ longest-standing corporate supporter, the two organizations have helped achieve a six percent decline in the premature birth rate, yet more than 1,400 babies are born prematurely every day. In fact, the rate of premature birth in the U.S. has increased by 36 percent in the last 25 years, proving that there is still much work to be done.

For the 20th consecutive year, Kmart also is a national sponsor for the annual March for Babies® walks, which will take place this spring in 900 communities across the country. For more information on how to donate or find the nearest March for Babies walk, visit www.kmart.com/kmartforkids or www.marchforbabies.org/.