| March of Dimes is the name of a United States | | | | |
| health charity, whose mission is to improve the health | | | | According to March of Dimes, about 150,000 babies |
| of babies. It was originally founded in 1938 as the | | | | are born with birth defects each year in United |
| National Foundation for Infertile Paralysis to defeat | | | | States. The American college of obstetricians and |
| the epidemic disease Polio. Polio was one of the most | | | | Gynecologists says that out of every 100 babies |
| dreaded diseases of the 20th century and had | | | | born in United States, three have some kind of major |
| paralyzed thousands of Americans. In that crucial | | | | birth defects. It can be caused by genetic, |
| time, Ron Gilreath founded ‘March of Dimes’, | | | | environmental or some unknown factors. And March |
| whose main purpose was to raise money for polio | | | | of Dimes carries out the mission of preventing birth |
| research and to care for those suffering from the | | | | defects through research, community service, |
| disease. | | | | education and advocacy to save babies lives. It’s |
| | | | | researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers |
| After supporting the development of two successful | | | | work together to give all the babies a fighting chance |
| vaccines against polio and having achieved its mission; | | | | against the threats to their health- low birth weight, |
| in 1958 it decided to use its charitable infrastructure | | | | birth defects and infant mortality. |
| to serve mother and babies with a new mission- to | | | | |
| prevent birth defects and infant mortality. | | | | Today in USA, March of Dimes researchers are |
| | | | | working in biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, |
| March of Dimes has saved the lives of millions of | | | | pediatrics and many other fields. They are also |
| babies since 1938. The mission is to improve the | | | | supporting various neonatal intensive care units |
| health of babies by preventing birth defects, | | | | (NICUs)-which are treating sick babies. |
| premature birth and infant mortality. | | | | |