NEW ORLEANS, AUGUST 17, 2006 - Prenatal care and supplies, pregnancy health education workshops, and mobile medical centers are just a few of the ways the March of Dimes is continuing to work to help prevent the preterm birth rate from rising in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast's devastating 2005 hurricane season.
“The hurricanes' effects will be felt for years to come,” said Dr. Scott Berns, March of Dimes, vice president for Chapter Programs. “We are proud of how our volunteers and staff stepped forward during the hurricanes to help the women and babies displaced by the storms. The needs of women and babies are still great and the March of Dimes is committed to being there to help address these long-term needs.”
Although the March of Dimes is not a disaster relief organization, it provided special services to the Gulf Coast because of the health threats faced by women and babies following the hurricanes. March of Dimes volunteers and corporate sponsors provided maternity clothes, infant clothes, diapers, formula and prenatal vitamins.
Heidi Wigley, who was pregnant during the hurricane, is just one of the thousands of women helped by the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes provided clothing and supplies for her and her newborn son, Cullen. Her main concern, however, was that she missed several weeks of prenatal care because her doctor also had to evacuate.
“Cullen was the good thing that kept me going,” said Mrs. Wigley, who is in the process of rebuilding her home in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, which was under 10-feet of water from the hurricanes. “Being pregnant made me stronger.”
Shelley Layne, who was forced by the hurricanes to evacuate from New Orleans, is one of the many women who took part in March of Dimes health education programs. Ms. Layne became pregnant after the hurricanes and gave birth to her second daughter, Jahzara, in July 2006.
“The March of Dimes helped me … at the end of the day, if I just wanted to talk, I knew I had a friend,” Ms. Layne said of the staff members who provided information and programs to support her.
In response to the Gulf Coast's healthcare needs, March of Dimes hosts Pregnancy Workshops in hospitals and clinics. Pregnant women who were displaced by the hurricanes were referred to the six-week long prenatal education program.
In Louisiana, the March of Dimes also is helping provide group prenatal care using a $500,000 federal grant. Women meet with health care providers as a group where they receive their check up and discuss common concerns. The grant also is being used to expand the March of Dimes NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Family Support® program to provide educational materials to all NICUs in the State.
In addition, through its Hurricane Assistance Fund, the March of Dimes is establishing four mobile health centers that will bring medical care directly to women and their children in Louisiana and Mississippi. The health centers will provide up to 25,000 medical visits, including prenatal and well-child care, in the first three years of operation.
The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org for Spanish.
