Dear Friend,

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day.

Throughout this month please join the March of Dimes in spreading awareness of premature birth. Every year, half a million babies born in the U.S. arrive too soon. Premature birth can happen to any pregnant woman, and no one knows why. It is a serious, common and costly problem. The March of Dimes is leading the campaign to reduce premature birth by supporting research and by educating the public and health care providers.

Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, is a guest on the weekly podcast called Pregtastic, a series by and for pregnant women, which began on Monday, October 2nd.

In the first episode of this new forum, Dr. Howse discussed newborn screening and why it's important that every newborn receive 29 recommended tests.

Great advances are being made in newborn screening. More and more states are now screening for 21 of the 29 disorders that can be successfully managed or treated if diagnosed early. More than 71 percent of all babies born in the U.S., now are screened, over twice as many as last year.

The show is casual, informative and fun. The hosts are "real" pregnant women who have the same concerns and joys as their listeners.

Listen to the podcast

Help prevent premature birth by donating your spare change to the March of Dimes. It's as easy as a visit to your local grocery store.

There are 10,000 Coinstar(R) Centers in stores nationwide accepting donations for the March of Dimes. Just select the "Donate Your Change" option on the machine and enter the code 1230. You also can bring your change to the March of Dimes chapter in your area.

For more information about the March of Dimes partnership with Coinstar(R), click on the coin jar at marchofdimes.com.

The highest honors in medical research were awarded to two former March of Dimes grantees. In total, 13 March of Dimes grantees have now won Nobels, showing how your donations have been put to work to successfully gain new understanding that can potentially affect every baby's healthy development.

The contributions of Dr. Craig Mello, a former recipient of the March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award, was granted a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

We also congratulate Dr. Roger D. Kornberg, a former March of Dimes grantee and Professor of Structural Biology and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, for receiving this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Funding research is only one way that your contributions will help save babies and make this year's Prematurity Awareness Day and Month a tremendous success.