March Of Dimes Organizational Analysis

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” This quote by Bob Marley describes how every parent feels when their child is born (Ringly, 2014). Having a child challenges every inch of your mind, body and soul. It pushes you farther than you ever thought imagined. This is especially true for parents of premature babies or babies born with a birth defect. The non-profit organization March of Dimes’ mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. March of dimes was originally founded by President Franklin Roosevelt under the name The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. In 1938, he founded this organization to establish aid polio patients and

They also helped start the system of regional neonatal intensive care for premature and sick babies and have supported research for surfactant therapy to treat respiratory. Not only is there a March of Dimes chapter in every state, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico but the organization is also reaching out globally to help babies and families worldwide. In 1998, the Global Programs was established and has partnered with 33 developing counties on four continents. They service women and their families across the globe to help improve maternal and child health in their communities. (March of Dimes,

According to the CDC, “In 2012, preterm birth affected more than 450,000 babies—that's 1 of every 9 infants born in the United States. Preterm-related causes of death together accounted for 35% of all infant deaths in 2010, more than any other single cause. Preterm birth is also a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children. Preterm birth costs the U.S. health care system more than $26 billion in 2005” (Preterm Birth, 2014). These statistics are alarming, but with the proper prenatal care and education, premature birth rates can be reduced. The student nurse’s health promotion project focused on educating women and their families about proper prenatal care. According to the journal “Prevention of Premature Birth: Do Pediatricians Have a Role?” there are many secondary and tertiary preventions related to premature birth. Some secondary preventions are utilized scoring systems for identifying high-risk factors, bed rest, decreased strenuous physical activity and stress, smoking cessation programs, and nutritional supplementation programs. Tertiary prevention is directed at stopping the progress of labor with tocolytic drugs while enhancing lung maturation with steroids, and to also treat premature rupture of membranes and premature labor with antibiotics. Prenatal education is the primary prevention to help decrease the risk for birth