November: Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month with November 17 being World Prematurity Day. A baby shouldn't be born sooner than 37 weeks into the mother's pregnancy. Premature babies tend to stay in the hospital for a longer period of time due to health problems. According to the latest statistics, being born too early happens in one out of every ten births. The prematurity survival rate is higher than it used to be; however, an early birth can lead to intellectual and developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cerebral palsy. In addition to medical services, there are early intervention and special education services for children who were born prematurely. For more information, go to https://www.marchofdimes.org.

The March of Dimes logo

(image via marchofdimes.org)