News Moms Need

Chris and Vince Centofanti thought they knew all about preterm birth. She was a neonatal nurse-practitioner caring for critically ill babies, and he worked for GE Healthcare’s Maternal-Infant Care division, providing specialized medical equipment to hospitals. But then their own baby, Nina, was born nine weeks early, weighing less than three pounds.  She suffered from respiratory distress and spent her first five weeks fighting for life in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU).

“I can’t tell you how difficult it was, seeing our own little girl lying in the NICU, fighting for life. All our hopes and dreams for her hung in the balance,” says Chris Centofanti.  “As a nurse-practitioner I’ve seen many other parents in this situation, and now I know exactly how they feel.” “I never expected that my own daughter would have to be cared for in a NICU with the equipment I had provided to the hospital,” says Vince Centofanti.

While pregnant with Nina, Chris felt unwell at 31 weeks and went to the hospital. She was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome, a form of high blood pressure with elevated liver enzymes and a low blood platelet count. It is a rare, but potentially life-threatening illness that typically occurs late in pregnancy. The only treatment is to deliver the baby as soon as possible. For the next 48 hours, Chris was treated with steroids to help develop baby Nina’s lungs before birth. At birth, Nina was immediately transferred to the NICU, where she spent the next five weeks.

In addition to Nina, the Centofantis have an older son Nick, and a second daughter, Mia, who was born at 35 weeks of pregnancy, thanks in part to weekly progesterone treatments which reduced the risk of Chris going into premature labor. “Even though things didn’t go as planned, we’ve been blessed with three healthy children, thanks in large part to the work of the March of Dimes.  Just a few years ago, the outcome might be been very different,” says Chris.  She adds, “Thanks to the care that Nina received, and the support of the March of Dimes for research and treatment, now we also know the relief and joy parents feel when their child survives and becomes healthy enough to leave the NICU and go home.”

Today Nina Centofanti has grown into an active 7-year-old who loves to dance, climb trees and turn handsprings. She has been named the March of Dimes 2013 National Ambassador. As ambassador, Nina and her family will travel the United States visiting public officials and corporate sponsors, and encouraging people to participate in the March of Dimes’ largest fundraiser, March for Babies. The money raised supports community programs that help moms have healthy, full term pregnancies, and funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies’ lives.
 
“Serving as the National Ambassador family is a way for us to show our appreciation for our children’s good health, and serve as advocates for lifesaving March of Dimes programs,” says Vince.  “The March of Dimes has provided 75 years of support for research, treatments, educational and prenatal care programs that has saved lives, reduced the suffering, and improved the quality of life for countless children and the parents who love them. My daughter Nina is one of their success stories; a perfect example of what March of Dimes efforts have accomplished.”

TV Journalist and March of Dimes Volunteer Jane Clayson tells her story about the premature birth of her son William. William was born weighing only 2 pounds, thirteen ounces and spent three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Thanks to his family’s support, advanced medical care and research the March of Dimes helped fund, young William, today, is a vibrant little boy.

Please join us today, October 13th, at 1 PM EDT for a #preemiechat about micropreemies, babies born at less than 28 weeks and weighing less than 800 grams. Share your experiences and challenges. Help others parents currently surviving the NICU rollercoaster with tips on things that really helped you survive those long days, weeks, months.

Our thanks to Amanda Knickerbocker for suggesting today’s chat and to Melissa McMurchy for this amazing photo of one of her twins. We’ll see you on Twitter at #preemiechat.

Sometimes a health provider tells a pregnant women to stay in bed because she is having spotting, early contractions or other signs of preterm labor. 

Both mom and the provider want to do everything they can to help get the baby to term.

But let’s face it, bedrest can be BORING! Women knit, catch up on their reading, watch a lot of TV, or visit online communities like Share Your Story from the March of Dimes and Sidelines.

Some women get very anxious when they’re on bedrest. They worry about everything they feel in their bodies. And with so much time on their hands, their thoughts race.

A small new study has found that music may relieve anxiety. In the study, women on bedrest chose from a selection of slow, soothing music provided by the researchers. Anxiety levels in women who received “music therapy” decreased.   

This study reminds us that sometimes medical research confirms what we already suspect. So if you are on bedrest or if you know someone who is, play some restful slow music. It might help.

It seems like your pregnancy has been going on forever. You’re exhausted. You’re not sleeping. Your back really hurts. Isn’t it time to induce labor?

Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.

Since 1990, the rate of inductions in the United States has more than doubled. In 2006, roughly 1 out of every 5 women had their labor induced.

Medical experts are concerned that many inductions are medically unnecessary. They can pose a risk to the baby. One main worry is that the baby may be born too early. Babies born preterm are at risk of serious health problems.

In August, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued new guidelines on inductions. The organization cautions health care providers to avoid inductions before 39 weeks gestation. There must be a clear medical reason to induce labor before then.

For more information, read the March of Dimes news release.

Have you been following all the reports about the woman in California who just delivered eight babies? I sure have. The babies are miracles, and I’m so thrilled that everyone is doing well.

The news reports say the woman probably had fertility treatments. Did you know that most fertility specialists do not recommend becoming pregnant with so many babies? It’s dangerous for both the mom and the babies.

The California babies were born nine weeks premature. Preterm birth can cause serious complications and even lifelong health problems. That’s why the March of Dimes is conducting a national campaign to fight prematurity.

Any time a woman is pregnant with more than one baby, she and the babies face extra risks. If you’re carrying more than one baby, work with your health care provider to be as healthy as you can. 

If you’re thinking about having fertility treatments or are already having them, talk to your doctor about reducing the chances of having too many babies. Your health and your children’s health will thank you.

CNN has more on this topic.

Scientists have known for a long time that premature birth can lead to problems with a baby’s brain development.

A research team, led by Dr. Joann Petrini of the March of Dimes, has learned that early birth increases the risk of cerebral palsy, developmental delays and mental retardation. The surprising finding is that this risk is true even for babies born as late as 34-36 weeks. The researchers published their study today in The Journal of Pediatrics.

A full-term pregnancy is 39 weeks. But more and more births are being scheduled early for non-medical reasons. Wouldn’t it be nice if the baby could be born when Grandma is in town? Or before the obstetrician goes on vacation? 

But early births can cause problems for both mom and baby. If possible, it’s best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks.

There are lots of important things happening to your baby in the last few weeks of pregnancy. If you can, give your baby all the time he needs to grow before he’s born.

Those last weeks of pregnancy are hard. You’re tired, you’re not sleeping, you ache. It seems as if you’ve gained a million pounds. As my sister used to say with a long sigh, “I can’t see my feet any more.” But staying pregnant until 39 weeks matters: for you and for your baby.

The March of Dimes Web site has a helpful drawing, showing the difference between the brains of babies born at 35 and 39 weeks. Take a look. And tell us what you do to make those last hard weeks of pregnancy a little easier.

Today the March of Dimes and the entire country take some time out to focus on the serious problem of premature birth. In the United States, 1 out of every 8 babies is born too early.

Many are too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the hospital. These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death. Many will suffer ongoing health problems throughout their lives. 

Through its Prematurity Campaign, the March of Dimes is fighting premature birth. You can help. Learn how your state is doing and sign the petition today to help in this battle.

   * If you are pregnant, find out how you can reduce your risk of preterm labor.

   * If your baby came early and is in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), get helpful information on our prematurity Web site. Or join our online community Share Your Story, which serves families with a baby in a NICU. By sharing their experiences, by laughing and crying together, this wonderful group of parents support each other during this difficult time.

I watched as my cousin who was born too early struggle with vision problems. I cried with my friend Sara when her son, also born premature, struggled to breathe in the NICU.

Prematurity has touched all of us.  We have stories to tell. Please tell us yours.

A baby born three to six weeks early is called a “late preterm” or “near-term” infant. The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is providing parents with information on the special needs of these babies and the potentially serious health problems that they may face. “Late Preterm Infants: What Parents Need to Know,” a free patient education brochure, is available in English and Spanish on the Web screen describing AWHONN’s Late Preterm Infant Initiative. Scroll down to Patient Resources.

The brochure informs parents about breathing, temperature control, feeding, sleeping, jaundice and infections. It also provides questions to ask the baby’s health care provider before leaving the hospital.