Prematurity is the leading killer of America's newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong health problems, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss.

Families who have babies born prematurely or with other birth complications face the complexities of the NICU and the long term impacts on their daily lives. First hospital bound, then home bound for years (to avoid exposure to viruses that can be life threatening for preemies), they have a huge need to be connected to other parents.

The March of Dimes is leading the campaign to reduce premature birth by supporting research and educating the public and health care providers. We also know and understand how frightening and confusing the NICU experience can be for families. Share Your Story addresses the needs of families by providing a forum for them to turn to for emotional and informational support.

There are now hundreds of stories on Share Your Story that show people connecting with people who understand and support them can make a critical difference. For example, right now a very active part of the site is "Pregnant? On Bed rest? Trying Again?" where a number of moms who have had previous premature births are sharing their current bed rest experience. It is an immeasurable relief to be able to connect with other moms while confined at home, especially in the winter, when many NICU parents are home bound so their infants aren’t exposed to viruses, which are especially dangerous to these special babies.

Even more important are the moments when the community wraps their cyber-arms around families under intense stress in the NICU, or who have lost babies. A number of members credit Share Your Story with helping them through these difficult times. And then there are the celebrations – babies going home, milestones passed, birthday celebrations of these amazing little fighters.

WHAT WE NEED:

All posts are read by March of Dimes staff for red-flags like health education questions and mental distress. These duties are currently split among March of Dimes staff with particular areas of expertise and one community host. With almost 1,000 new registrants a month and 10,000 posts per month, we would like to hire two part time employees devoted to the site.

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