New Survey Reveals Communication About Preterm Birth is Too Little, Too Late

ST. LOUIS, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey shows a majority of new and expectant moms have not discussed preterm birth with their healthcare providers, despite the fact that early prenatal care, including discussion about lifestyle habits and medical history, may give babies a better chance of a healthy, full-term birth. This new survey, titled SPEAKing (Survey on Perceptions, Experiences, Assessment and Knowledge) About Preterm Birth, was conducted among moms and healthcare providers including obstetricians/gynecologists and maternal fetal medicine specialists, by the March of Dimes and BabyCenter, and sponsored by Ther-Rx Corporation.

Starting the conversation about preterm birth early enough and covering all important topics, such as risk factors, represents a challenge for moms and healthcare providers.  According to the survey, only one in four new or expectant moms say they discussed preterm birth with their healthcare providers before the second trimester.  Additionally, although one of the most significant risk factors is having had a preterm birth before, nearly 40 percent of moms who have previously delivered preterm were not informed that they may be at risk for a subsequent preterm birth.

"Findings from this survey underscore the need for earlier communication between expectant moms and their healthcare providers," said Dr. Alan R. Fleischman, senior vice president and medical director of the March of Dimes.  "We encourage every woman to have a medical check up before getting pregnant to identify and manage conditions that contribute to preterm delivery.  And we urge women and healthcare providers to talk about risk factors for premature birth as early as possible."  

Preterm birth, or the birth of a baby prior to 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, is a serious problem that affects more than half a million babies in the United States each year. Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant death in the U.S. and babies who survive often face serious complications and lifelong disability. Preterm birth also costs the nation more than $26 billion per year.

Healthcare providers cite several barriers to discussing preterm birth with their patients.  The majority (83 percent) of healthcare providers agree that the options for preventing preterm birth are limited, which they most frequently cite as a challenge in bringing up the topic of preterm birth with their prenatal patients.   More than half of healthcare providers cite concern about causing undue fear or worry as a challenge to discussing preterm birth with their patients.

Increasingly, moms are searching for information outside of their healthcare provider's office; in fact, more than a third (36 percent) of moms surveyed say they receive most or all of their information about important topics related to their pregnancy from other sources outside of their healthcare provider.

"With BabyCenter being mom's first choice for all her parenting and pregnancy information, we see first-hand that moms are taking a more proactive approach to their own healthcare," said Linda Murray, editor-in-chief, BabyCenter.  "Therefore, it is more important than ever that moms are equipped with accurate and up-to-date information, and feel empowered to discuss subjects like preterm birth prevention with their healthcare provider."

About the Survey

SPEAKing (Survey on Perceptions, Experiences, Assessment and Knowledge) About Preterm Birth was conducted between March and April of 2010 by March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health, and BabyCenter, the leading online resource for new and expectant parents, and was sponsored by Ther-Rx Corporation, a women's health-focused healthcare company.

Data for the survey of moms were collected by BabyCenter. The sample included 798 U.S. women ages 18-44, of whom 152 experienced preterm birth, 324 were currently pregnant, and 322 had given birth in the past 12 months. Data were weighted to reflect the demographics of these populations as reported by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Data for the healthcare provider survey were collected by Richard Day Research, a national healthcare research firm. The sample included 225 board-certified obstetrician/gynecologists, 50 of whom have a maternal-fetal or perinatology sub-specialty, or have completed training with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) approved Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship program.

For more information on the results from the survey, visit www.marchofdimes.com.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. To join an event near you, visit www.marchforbabies.org.  For the latest resources and information, visit www.marchofdimes.com or www.nacersano.org.  

About BabyCenter®, LLC

BabyCenter® is the voice of the 21st Century Mom™ and modern motherhood.  It is the #1 pregnancy and parenting destination worldwide, reaching over 8 million moms in the U.S. (78 percent of those online) and close to 19 million moms monthly in 22 markets from Australia to India to China.  In the United States, 7 out of 10 babies born last year were BabyCenter babies. BabyCenter is the world's partner in parenting, providing moms with trusted advice from more than 100 experts around the globe, and friendship that is remarkably right for her needs.  BabyCenter provides support for mom at every stage of her child's development.  BabyCenter is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. www.babycenter.com.

About Ther-Rx Corporation

Ther-Rx Corporation is committed to advancing the health of women across all the stages of her life.  To help ensure patients are educated about their healthcare, Ther-Rx collaborates with leading patient advocacy groups and professional organizations who share this common mission of advancing women's health.

SOURCE Ther-Rx Corporation

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