About The March of Dimes

In a world where, each day, hundreds of tiny, innocent babies are born fighting for their lives, the March of Dimes is there to help. To bring cures and preventions, information and answers.

Founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to defeat polio, the March of Dimes has saved millions of babies from death or disability over the years. The organization:

1. Stopped polio with the Salk vaccine
   
   
2. Established neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to rescue the sickest babies
   
   
3. Pioneered prenatal surgery to correct certain birth defects before a baby is born
   
   
4. Spearheaded development of surfactant therapy to save the lives of babies with respiratory distress syndrome
   
   
5. Pioneered research into the use of gene therapy to correct certain birth defects
   
   
6. Launched a national, multimedia campaign to educate women about the importance of getting enough folic acid by taking a multivitamin every day as part of a healthy diet that includes foods rich in folic acid, like orange juice, leafy green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. This B vitamin may reduce the risk of having a baby with serious birth defects of the brain or spinal cord.
   
   
7. Initiated groundbreaking epidemiological research into the causes of premature birth
   
   
8. In 2003, launched a multi-year campaign to address the increasing rate of prematurity. The campaign includes funding to find the causes of premature birth, educating families about the warning signs of premature labor and what can be done to prevent it, expanding access to health care coverage so that more women more women can get prenatal care and helping health care providers learn ways to help reduce the risk of early delivery.

Premature birth affects more than half a million babies every year. It’s the leading cause of newborn death and of many lifelong disabilities. And, in half of the cases, it happens for no known reason. We need to find the answers. Support for events like the Achievement In Radio Awards funds research and programs to find causes and develop treatments for prematurity and other infant health threats.

By supporting the Achievement In Radio Awards, you will be helping the March of Dimes in the fight to save babies.

For more information visit www.marchofdimes.com.