Alexandria community to aid March of Dimes efforts

Preterm babies are born at a higher rate in the U.S. than in 130 other countries of the world, including many poorer nations, according to the report Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth. In Minnesota, one in 10 babies is born premature.

Members of the Alexandria community will help the March of Dimes fight this problem by going to jail.

The March of Dimes is hosting its Alexandria Jail and Bail at Pizza Ranch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 29.

Volunteer jailbirds serve time in a mock jail. Prisoners are arraigned on charges such as reckless golf-cart driving or smiling too much on a Monday morning. Jailbirds are then sentenced to spend an hour in the slammer to raise bail in the form of donations to the March of Dimes.

Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks completed gestation) is the leading cause of newborn death in the U.S. Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and other lifelong problems. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants.

Born too Soon has an interactive map showing the preterm birth rates in the 184 countries in the report and is available online at marchofdimes.com/borntoosoon. For a state-by-state breakdown of preterm birth rates within the U.S., see the March of Dimes 2011 Premature Birth Report Card online at marchofdimes.com/prematurity.

The March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

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