Premature Twin Boys' Fight for Life - One Mother's Tale is the Story of Our Times

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 17 -- Jenny Minton delivered twin boys, Sam and Gus, two months prematurely. For 64 days they struggled, critically ill, in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).  To cope with this trauma, she wrote The Early Birds, a book about of her quest to bring her sons home -- which is now being issued in a paperback edition.

Unfortunately, the Minton family's experience is not rare.  More than half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States each year; the number has increased more than 30 percent since 1981.  Premature birth is the leading killer of newborns, and babies who survive may suffer lifelong disabilities.  Despite such prevalence, few women talk publicly about their often harrowing days and nights spent in NICUs.  Jenny Minton opens the discussion for women and raises questions about motherhood in the age of modern medicine that grew from her experiences.  She has appeared on NBC-TV's “Today Show” and in numerous radio and online interviews.
Jenny has pledged 50 percent of her royalties from the sale of The Early Birds to the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign.  The March of Dimes is funding research on the causes of premature birth and ways to prevent it, educating families about risk factors and symptoms of preterm labor, and providing information and comfort to families with babies in the NICU.

Jenny Minton is an active participant in the March of Dimes online community, “Share Your Story,” where mothers and other family members of premature babies gather to support one another.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.