Today is World Prematurity Day

Nov. 17 is World Prematurity Day and the March of Dimes is asking for help in taking on the Web to show how widespread premature birth is.

Every year, 13 million babies are born prematurely worldwide. A million of these babies never get to celebrate their first birthday, and many more face serious, lifelong health challenges. Raising awareness of this problem is the first step to defeating it.  

To help, join the March of Dimes for Prematurity Awareness Month this November. The month is an opportunity to draw attention to the problem and the millions of babies and families who are affected.

Premature birth affects every community. Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Visit marchofdimes.com/prematurity to learn more about the serious problem of premature birth and our efforts to defeat the problem. 
• Use your network to spread the word — post personal stories or facts about premature birth on Facebook and Twitter during November. 
•  On November 17, visit Facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay and change your status to show your support. Ask family and friends to help you spread the word as Prematurity Awareness Month kicks off. Just send them an email telling them what you would like them to do.
•  If you have a blog, dedicate a post to premature birth. Join with bloggers around the world at bloggersunite.org/event/world-prematurity-day.