VERO BEACH — Motherhood takes patience – even before the little bundle of joy makes its way into the world. The March of Dimes is making the case to mothers-to-be that patience is just as important before the birth as after the delivery.
The slogan of their new initiative says it all – Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait. The goal is to inform the public that with a healthy pregnancy it’s best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks.
The message was loud and clear, even over the din of hundreds of adults, children and babies who came out for a Baby-Palooza event Saturday morning, hosted by the March of Dimes, Indian River Medical Center and host venue, the Indian River Mall.
“We paired with March of Dimes to do this event,” said Erin Mercado, charge nurse at IRMC. “We’re the first hospital in Florida to get the 39 week initiative award from March of Dimes. We do not schedule any unnecessary deliveries before 39 weeks. It helps cut down on preterm births and the issues that go with those deliveries.”
Early deliveries are a growing problem, with more than half a million babies born too soon each year in the United States. The March of Dimes is collaborating with physicians and hospitals to reduce the number of induced and C-section deliveries between 36 and 39 weeks unless they are medically necessary.
“It’s considered term at 40 weeks, which is actually 10 months,” explained Donna Riordan, director at IRMC, dispelling the previously held nine month standard. “We don’t really look at months; we look at weeks. When a mommy comes in for a prenatal visit, we try to determine her delivery date through her menstrual cycle and confirm with ultra sound. That’s the starting point.”
Riordan stressed the importance of that prenatal visit, so that medical providers can monitor the growth of the baby throughout the gestation period. There are of course times when the health of the mother or baby warrant a delivery before 39 weeks, but the goal is to have those be the exception and not the norm.
They point out the health risks involved in an early birth, hoping to reduce the number of “TOBP” mothers – Tired of Being Pregnant – who want to deliver early.
March of Dimes literature indicates that a babies brain at 36 weeks weighs only two-thirds what it will at 39 to 40 weeks. It is during that time that the brain makes the connections needed for balance, coordination, learning and social functioning. Babies born early may also have sight and hearing problems, feeding and respiratory problems and have a higher incidence of sudden infant death syndrome.
“There are a lot of developmental things going on those four weeks,” added Riordan. “A lot of people are getting induced or schedule C-sections because it is more convenient. They have it in their mind that 36 weeks is OK, but it’s not.”
“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has had protocols and procedures in place since 1980, but they have not been followed,” said Patty Kodish, director of program services, March of Dimes South Florida Region.
While all births earlier than 39 weeks are considered premature, the terminology differs. Births between 24 and 32 weeks are called very pre-term; from 32 to 36 weeks are premature; and from 36 to 39 weeks are late pre-term.
“The message is that in order to have a healthy baby, you should wait till you go into natural labor or schedule it after 39 weeks,” said Kodish.
In addition to the informative March of Dimes and Indian River Medical Center booths, a host of other community booths included those of the La Leche League, Treasure Cost Community Health, the Indian River County Health Department, the Whole Child Project, Florida WIC and the Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition, plus numerous vendors with goods and services all celebrating “birth, babies and beyond.”
A question and answer period with physicians from Indian River Medical Center Partners in Women’s Health included conversations with two new female OB/GYNs – Dr. Ana Benitez-Prieto and Dr. Christina DuPree.
The crowd peaked earlier in the morning, but remained constant throughout the event, with new moms catching up, comparing notes and gathering all sorts of helpful information.
“We gave away 100 goody bags in five minutes,” said Ursula Gunter, director of marketing at the Indian River Mall. “It’s just wonderful to showcase all the resources in town to help new moms.”
