Citizen Brand

Coming Home

Barkley has been proud to be the agency partner for the March of Dimes for over three years now. It is a fantastic organization that has been doing great work for 70 years and counting. The MOD's focus has always been on the health of children. In the past decade, March of Dimes has made prematurity its primary cause. It is sometimes an uphill battle because even though premature births continue to rise and the links between premature births and lifelong health issues become more apparent - most of us still don't see it as a big problem.

It is, however, a big problem. And the persistence of the March of Dimes in focusing our collective attention on it is beginning to pay off. The organization is using many forms of communication to get the word out. Here is the newest Barkley produced PSA that carries a strong message about prematurity.

Maddie & Nicole

This weekend is the kickoff for the March for Babies around the country. The signature fund raising events for our client, the March of Dimes, will engage hundreds of thousands of people across the nation over the next couple of months raising important money for programs and research to make sure all babies are born healthy.

Each March for Babies will have hundreds of stories emerge as to why people are participating. For example, in Nashville this weekend, actress Nicole Kidman will lend her voice and support to the March of Dimes. Celebrities are an important part of cause programs because they increase the visibility and awareness of a cause.

But the true star that is emerging as the 2009 March for Babies kicks off is the memory of a darling 17-month old girl named Maddie Spohr. Maddie was born premature. And as we know, premature births result in difficult health issues for the baby and heart wrenching moments for the parents, family and friends of each premature baby.

Maddie and her parents, Mike & Heather, fought hard but on April 7, Maddie passed away. What has happened since her death is nothing short of a movement to make sure Maddie's fight continues through all of us. The "mommy" blogger community has picked up the call for action and a "March for Maddie" site has emerged.

Fortunately, there is an easy way we can all do our part to make sure Maddie's fight continues. She represents thousands of other babies who are fighting health issues right now because they too were born premature. All you need to do is log on to marchforbabies.org and either donate, start a team of your own or check with your local March of Dimes chapter to see when your community's March for Babies will be this spring.

This weekend, Maddie Spohr and Nicole Kidman have something very important in common - helping us to imagine the day when all babies are born healthy.

America gets a "D" in premature births

Our client, the March of Dimes, delivered its first report card to America yesterday.  And we don't have a passing grade when it comes to the number of premature births that occur in this country. Premature births can lead to health issues for those babies for their entire lives. It is a cause that we all need to pay more attention to and we need to do it now. Here is the story from the Washington Post.

When it comes to premature birth rates, the United States rates a "D," and 18 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia get failing grades.

That's the sobering conclusion of the March of Dimes' first annual Premature Birth Report Card, released Wednesday. Not a single state earned an "A." Only one -- Vermont -- received a "B," and 23 states were given a "D."

The report card was released on the sixth annual Prematurity Awareness Day, which is meant to draw attention to premature birth, which affects more than 530,000 babies each year in the United States. Premature birth (before 37 weeks' gestation) is the leading cause of newborn deaths and a major cause of lifelong ills such as cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities, asthma and other chronic conditions.

"It is unacceptable that our nation is failing so many preterm babies. We are determined to find and implement solutions to prevent preterm birth, based on research, best clinical practices, and improved education for moms," March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse said in a news release from the nonprofit organization.

The group urged people to sign the 2008 Petition for Preemies, to send a message to federal and state lawmakers to take action on the issue.

For the report card, the March of Dimes compared actual preterm birth rates to the national Healthy People 2010 objective of lowering the preterm birth rate to 7.6 percent of all live births. The U.S. preterm birth rate was 12.7 percent in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Since 1990, the preterm birth rate in the United States has risen about 20 percent, and preterm births cost the nation more than $26 billion a year, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report.

In addition to state rankings, the report card also analyzed several factors that contribute to preterm birth -- including smoking and uninsured women of childbearing age -- and prevention measures.

The report calls for:

Increased federal support for prematurity-related research to learn more about the causes of premature birth and to develop strategies for prevention, along with improved care and outcomes for preterm infants.Voluntary reviews by hospital leaders of all Caesarean-section births and inductions of labor that occur before 39 weeks' gestation, in an effort to reverse the nation's rising preterm birth rate. The review should ensure that all C-sections and inductions meet established professional guidelines.Policymakers to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and to support smoking-cessation programs as part of maternity care.Businesses to create workplaces that support mother and infant health, such as providing private areas to pump breast milk, access to flextime, and information on how to have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.

"Employers can play a key role in helping their employees and dependents have healthy babies and healthy families. The March of Dimes' Premature Birth Report Card provides guidance on best practices that can help any size business," Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, said in the news release.