March of Dimes: Blazing Trails for Babies

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Whether you plan to walk in the March for Babies 5K at Balboa Park this Saturday, donate to a participating co-worker or organize a fundraiser, your support of the March of Dimes makes a huge difference.

But do you know about the nonprofit’s trailblazing history? Are you familiar with where your donations go?

The 76-year-old organization has a long and distinguished record of working to improve the health of mothers and babies--and being at the forefront in doing so. Turns out, the March of Dimes has funded some of the biggest medical advances of the 20th and 21st centuries. Research it helped fund has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes.

County employees are again participating this year in the March of Dimes' biggest annual fundraiser, the March for Babies. This Saturday, the organization will hold its second local 5K walk of the year at Balboa Park, starting at 8 a.m. Another 5K walk took place April 12 in Oceanside. When it began in 1970, the event was the first charitable walk held in the U.S. To register for one of the events or make a donation to your group’s team, visit the March for Babies page on InSite.

Founded by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938, the March of Dimes' original mission was to end the polio epidemic. With that goal achieved by the 1950s, the nonprofit’s focus shifted to discovering the genetic causes of birth defects. It also worked to promote newborn screenings and educate medical staffs and the public on healthy pregnancies. The March of Dimes supported research for surfactant therapy to treat newborn’s respiratory problems, helped initiate a system of regional neonatal intensive care for premature and sick babies and helped dramatically reduce birth defects by encouraging mothers-to-be to take folic acid.

In recent years, the March of Dimes has focused on preventing the increasing problem of premature births. It launched a multi-year campaign to raise awareness and research the causes. According to the March of Dimes website, the rate of premature births in the U.S. has risen by 36 percent over the past 25 years. Each year, more than half a million babies are born too soon.

Each year in San Diego and Imperial Counties, nearly 8,900 pregnant women receive late or no prenatal care. Of the 47,910 babies born, more than 9 percent are born pre-term.

In an effort to prevent such premature births, the March of Dimes funds research to look for its causes. The organization also supports legislation to improve care for moms and babies.

Among the nonprofit’s initiatives making a difference locally:

  • A three-year grant totaling almost $150,000 called the Scripps Mercy Family Practice Residency Program aimed at improving perinatal care for underserved women in the San Diego border region. The grant helps provide education and clinical services to pregnant Latina women in South County.
  • Funding for three research grants at UC San Diego and the Salk Institute that total $813,000.
  • A $6,875 award to three organizations that focus on professional education and bereavement support for newborn intensive care unit families.

For more information or to participate, visit the March of Dimes page on InSite.