Spotlight: March of Dimes

The March of Dimes started in the 1930s with a focus on defeating polio. In the 1960s, after significant progress was made, the organization turned its attention to preventing birth defects and helping to decrease infant mortality. Then in 2003, the focus was turned specifically to fighting premature births and promoting the health of pregnant women and babies. The organization does this through funding research, aiding healthcare providers, and lobbying policymakers in local, state and federal governments. The March of Dimes is one of the largest charitable organizations in the country and offers many tools and resources that can help pregnant women and new mothers, such as:

• Online access to health experts that can answer questions about maternal and neonatal health, fertility, pregnancy complications, labor and delivery, and newborn loss
• An award-winning pregnancy and new moms blog
• Patient education materials (print, video, digital)
• Resources to organize and host fundraising and awareness events
• Information about Zika virus and ways to prevent it

Additional resources:

• March of Dimes website
• March of Dimes – Ask health experts
• March of Dimes – Zika virus and pregnancy