DRAWING ATTENTION TO PREMATURE BIRTHS

Harrisburg, Nov. 18, 2003 – One in eight babies in the United States is born prematurely. Premature birth is a leading cause of newborn death and many of the babies that do survive face long-term health problems. State Sen. Connie Williams is working to see those statistics change.

“The key to lowering the premature birth rate in the country is education and research,” Williams said. “I credit the March of Dimes for its work in this arena.”

The March of Dimes has made the issue of premature births its national campaign, which it launched in January. The goals of the campaign are to increase awareness of the growing problem and decrease the rate of premature birth.

Today, Pennsylvania joined other state in recognizing Prematurity Awareness Day. Williams co-sponsored the resolution in the Pennsylvania Senate.

“There are many people who don’t realize what a health issue premature birth is in this state or in this country,” Williams said. “In most cases, families are educated when it happens to someone they love. If we can learn what causes premature births, then maybe we can prevent them and save the lives of newborn babies.”

Williams recently spoke of the issue when the March of Dimes at its ninth annual Salute to Montgomery Women of Achievement honored her. Williams was selected as the 2003 honoree in the field of public service. In her remarks, the senator spoke about helping others to lift their voices.

“Every parent hopes and expects a healthy full-term baby,” Williams said during the event. “Unfortunately in today’s world, this does not always happen. The work of the March of Dimes to prevent premature births and to ensure that premature babies thrive is invaluable and we thank you.”