Learn how to help premature babies

To the editor:

Every mom remembers what she was doing when it was time to go to the hospital. I know I do. My due date was still 11 weeks away. It was unexpected and Flynn was born too soon. His lungs weren't ready and his brain wasn't ready, and he spent 66 days in the hospital's newborn intensive care unit (NICU) to get the critical care he needed to survive.

In the United States, about 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year. Premature birth is the No. 1 killer of babies, and those who survive an early birth face serious health challenges and are at risk for cerebral palsy, lung problems, vision and hearing problems and learning disabilities.

The March of Dimes is working to help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies by supporting research and educational programs. I'm a March of Dimes volunteer and I'm helping to let other moms know what they can do to lower their risk of giving birth early so they won't have to live away from home like I did while their baby stays in the NICU.

Tuesday was World Prematurity Day, a time for the March of Dimes and its global partners to focus attention on premature birth. Visit facebook.com/worldprematurityday to learn how you can help.

Amber Hansen

Cedar Rapids