Today more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. will be born prematurely.

Many will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death; however, most, eventually, will go home. But what does the future hold for these babies? Many survivors grow up healthy; others arent so lucky. Even the best of care cannot always spare a premature baby from lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems. Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth. Although doctors have made tremendous advances in caring for babies born too small and too soon, we need to find out how to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place. Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery. In fact, the rate of premature birth increased almost 30 percent between 1981 and 2004 (9.4 to 12.5 percent). WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Every visit to the doctor for women of childbearing age should be considered an opportunity to discuss reproductive health especially since more than half of all pregnancies are unintended, according to a report published today in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Recommendations and Reports. Making preconception health care part of routine medical visits can help identify risk factors for pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes, allowing doctors to offer women additional services to reduce the risk of premature birth and birth defects to help give their future babies a healthy start in life. We could do much more to improve the health of mothers and babies if we could identify risk factors before pregnancy and educate women about what health changes they can make, said Janis Biermann, co-author of the study and vice president for Education and Health Promotion of the March of Dimes. For some of these problems, the preconception period, or the time between pregnancies, is the only chance to make a difference. Ms. Biermann says providing care before a woman becomes pregnant is crucial because many factors that can harm fetal development do serious damage early in pregnancy, often before a woman realizes she is pregnant. For example, women can be told of the dangers to the fetus of smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and informed of the benefits of taking folic acid to reduce the risk of serious birth defects. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure can be diagnosed and managed, allowing the mother to maintain good health while protecting the health of her future children. Medications may need to be changed to maximize the chance of a healthy baby. Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. Areas of expertise: Women’s Sexual Health, Menopause Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., is clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and has a private practice in the New Haven area. She is widely known in the field of gynecology and is interviewed often in print and broadcast media. For ten years she has also been the medical adviser to Red Hot Mamas, the nation’s largest organization providing patient menopause support. Dr. Minkin is a recipient of the Irving Friedman Award, given by Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for excellence in clinical abilities and patient care, and has twice been awarded the Resident’s Teaching Award for best community attending physician. She is a leader in women’s health education both inside and outside the medical community. She is lead author or coauthor of articles in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and she is the official women’s health medical adviser for Prevention magazine. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=35209