BOROUGH PRESIDENT JOINS MARCH OF DIMES TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF PREMATURE BIRTH

Pre-term birth is number one killer of newborns nationwide

10:30 A.M.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL
209 JORALEMON STREET
BETWEEN COURT & ADAMS STREETS
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

On Tuesday, November 15, Borough President Marty Markowitz hosts Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, Dr. Louis Sullivan, Prematurity Campaign Chairman and former Secretary of Health and Human Services, along with 22 mothers and fathers of premature babies from across the nation, to raise awareness of the growing problem of premature birth. A March of Dimes National Ambassador family will also speak about their experiences with premature birth.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, premature birth is the number one killer of newborns, and is a major cause of serious health problems and disability among many of those who do survive. In 2003, 12 percent of Brooklyn babies were born premature.

The March of Dimes, which is observing Prematurity Awareness Day with events across the nation on Tuesday, 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 website at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish website at nacersano.org.

March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign national sponsors include CIGNA, FedEx, the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, and Motherhood Maternity. National Prematurity Awareness Month sponsor is MedImmune, Inc. Prematurity Awareness Month supporters include First Response and Arm & Hammer Oral Care.