Health Discoveries in General Health News
Annual March for Babies raises research money for pregnancy and baby health
April 20, 2010
The annual March for Babies, raising money for the prevention of birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality, will sponsor walks throughout New York state on April 24 to 25 and May 2.
The March of Dimes Foundation, the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health, has sponsored the walk since the first Mothers March in 1950. The organization was begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Roosevelt, who had polio, wanted to establish a partnership of scientists and volunteers to cure polio. The term "March of Dimes" was coined when a grassroots fund-raising effort encouraged the public to send dimes to the president.
Following the development of a polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in the 1950's, the foundation turned its attention to the prevention of birth defects. Today, that effort continues along with funding of research related to premature births, genetics and parent education of prenatal health issues.
Within the North Shore-LIJ Health System, the Cohen Children's Medical Center has an Echocardiography Lab that performs more than 8,000 examinations annually to identify acquired and congenital heart disease – one of the most common birth defects – in fetuses, infants, children and adolescents.
The March of Dimes Foundation, the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health, has sponsored the walk since the first Mothers March in 1950. The organization was begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Roosevelt, who had polio, wanted to establish a partnership of scientists and volunteers to cure polio. The term "March of Dimes" was coined when a grassroots fund-raising effort encouraged the public to send dimes to the president.
Following the development of a polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in the 1950's, the foundation turned its attention to the prevention of birth defects. Today, that effort continues along with funding of research related to premature births, genetics and parent education of prenatal health issues.
Within the North Shore-LIJ Health System, the Cohen Children's Medical Center has an Echocardiography Lab that performs more than 8,000 examinations annually to identify acquired and congenital heart disease – one of the most common birth defects – in fetuses, infants, children and adolescents.