March Of Dimes Discourages Elective C-Sections Before 39 Weeks
WCBS 880's Marla Diamond is beginning a special series of reports leading up to this Sunday's March of Dimes March for Babies, which will be held at Lincoln Center at 10:00 a.m. To sign up, visit www.marchforbabies.org and tune in to WCBS 880 and check CBSNewYork.com for Marla's upcoming reports.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The March of Dimes, in its fight to prevent premature births, has worked to discourage elective c-sections where delivery takes place before 39 weeks.
WCBS 880's Marla Diamond On The Story
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Nelson Andino, the organization's New York State Director of Programs, told WCBS 880 reporter Marla Diamond that those early deliveries are a bad idea.
"You need to get to 39 weeks," he said. "There's full development of the brain, full development of the lung, full development of the liver."
After educating doctors and hospitals, the March of Dimes went straight to the waiting room and tried connecting directly with mothers to be.
"Moms haven't been mobilized around this issue, but we're getting there," Andino said.
There was a slight drop in in premature births from 2009 to 2010 as moms became more educated about the risks, reported Diamond.
"It's a problem that effects everyone, some more than others but everyone across the country. It's comprehensive. It costs about $26 billion," said Andino.
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