The preterm birth rate has increased for the third year in a row. The United States has the highest rates of premature birth in the industrial world and preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death – it affects 15 million babies globally each year.
This is why March of Dimes will continue to invest $17 million in 2018 to fund our Prematurity Research Centers, Basil O’Connor awards and select individual research programs that specifically address preterm birth.
At the same time, given our overall resources, March of Dimes has made the difficult decision to reduce grant awards to researchers whose work does not directly impact the prevention and care of premature birth. We have had to carefully evaluate current and prospective research programs to ensure we are targeting very specific programs to meet very specific health objectives around reducing preterm birth rates.
March of Dimes is committed to fighting for the health of all moms and babies and is doing all we can to ensure we have the ability to fund solutions to the biggest threats facing moms and babies today and in the future.