March of Dimes

ADHS Programs and Services Help to Increase Rates of Healthy Pregnancies

By |2017-11-17T08:52:15-07:00November 17th, 2017|Prevention|

Every year the March of Dimes releases grades based on the final National Center for Health Statistics data.  Arizona received a “B” grade for the 2017 Premature Birth Report Card. While the preterm birth rate worsened in 43 states in 2016, the rate remained the same in Arizona. A premature birth is defined as the [...]

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Arizona babies receive good grades in latest Report Card

By |2017-02-10T09:49:06-07:00November 5th, 2015|Prevention|

The March of Dimes released its 2015 Premature Birth Report Card today giving our state a “B” grade. New this year, the annual report card ranked state cities and revealed Arizona has a 9 percent preterm birth rate. The report card grades Arizona cities with the greatest number of births on their 2013 preterm birth rates. [...]

ADHS Receives March of Dimes National Award

By |2017-02-10T09:49:29-07:00September 18th, 2014|Newborn Screening|

The ADHS won the first-ever Newborn Screening Quality Award from the March of Dimes this week. We were recognized for shortening the length of time it takes bloodspot samples to get from Arizona hospitals to our State Laboratory, setting and achieving a target of receiving 95% of samples within 72 hours, and for establishing a policy [...]

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New (Higher) Fish Consumption Recommendations for Pregnant Women

By |2017-02-10T09:49:36-07:00June 16th, 2014|General|

Last week the FDA & EPA announced new draft fish consumption recommendations for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. The new recommendations recommend at least 2 servings of low-mercury seafood every week. The recommendations are a big shift for the FDA & EPA- whose previous seafood advisory in 2004 set only an upper limit on the [...]

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Ocean Predators & Pregnancy

By |2017-02-10T09:49:58-07:00December 3rd, 2013|Prevention|

There was good news this week about preconception health.  A report just out from the EPA found that more women of childbearing age have been avoiding eating the kinds of ocean predators that typically contain mercury (Hg).  This is important because mercury can affect the baby’s brain being developed during pregnancy.   Mercury is found in [...]

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Reviewing Child Fatalities Provides Critical Information

By |2017-02-10T09:50:00-07:00November 15th, 2013|Prevention|

One of the ways we create good public health interventions is by studying outcomes.  This week, the 20th Annual Child Fatality Review report came out- which examines all 854 deaths of children under the age of 18 in 2012.  The Report reviews the circumstances of each child’s death, determines preventability and makes recommendations to save children’s lives moving forward.  Although the number [...]

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Challenge Accepted – and Met

By |2017-02-10T09:50:01-07:00November 3rd, 2013|Prevention|

We did it… and by we, I mean ADHS and partners around the state.  We accepted the Association of Territorial and State Health Officers (ASTHO) challenge to reduce the rate of babies born too early by 8% by 2014.  On Friday, ADHS and the March of Dimes Arizona Chapter received the Virginia Apgar award.  The [...]

Infant Mortality: A Call to Action

By |2017-02-10T09:50:35-07:00March 25th, 2013|Prevention|

A new program is coming to help address infant mortality rates in Arizona thanks to the leadership of Dr. Maria Manriquez and the Maricopa Integrated Health System- who was awarded a Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns grant from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  They’ll be developing enhanced prenatal care at maternity care homes, [...]

Campaign to Get Health Care Workers Immunized

By |2017-02-10T09:50:36-07:00March 18th, 2013|General, Prevention|

Believe it or not only 27% of health care workers are up to date with their whooping cough booster… yet health care personnel can be infected with it by their patients, and then pass it on to other patients, family, and the community.  The Arizona Partnership Against Pertussis, a coalition of seventeen health care organizations [...]

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Prematurity Report Card

By |2017-02-10T09:50:51-07:00November 13th, 2012|Prevention|

The March of Dimes just released its annual report card marking how well states are doing in the battle to lower the percentage of babies born prematurely.  Being born too soon can cause long-term disabilities in children including cerebral palsy, developmental delay, respiratory problems and vision and hearing problems.  Sadly, prematurity is also the leading [...]

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