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Brynlee Condie E #8- OUTLINE

Introduction: Ebony, a African American woman, went on vacation at 26 weeks pregnant, and for those

of you who don’t know, that is about halfway through a full term pregnancy. She went to the doctor just before leaving, and was given the all clear, despite experiencing swollen feet, and not getting a blood test like normal. While on vacation, she became very sick, so she came home early and went to the hospital immediately. Hospital staff initially brushed off her complaints and told her she was having normal pregnancy symptoms. After taking more vitals, they found out she was having preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure, and HELLP syndrome, which is a serious complication of high blood pressure that causes a breakdown of red blood cells, elevated liver enzymes, and a low platelet count. Ebony went into liver failure, and her daughter Reign was delivered at 26 weeks, weighing only 1 pound and 15 ounces. Ebony’s story is not an uncommon one. Pregnant, and especially minority women are often not believed when it comes to getting medical care. The CDC says that “Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related cause than White women”. [can make the story longer, give more detail to why it is important for women to be believed my medical professionals, risk for child, etc]

You should support the March of Dimes and their effort to “end preventable maternal health risks and death, end preventable preterm birth and infant death, and end the health equity gap for all”. Today we will discuss why there is a need to help support moms and babies through pregnancy and delivery, how March of Dimes works to prevent maternal and child health risks and death, and why their work matters.

MP1: March of Dimes was created as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP),

and was founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its main focus was on curing and treating polio in the US. NFIP established scientific committees that funded research on polio throughout the war and into the 1950s. It was volunteer-run and had the slogan “Join the March of Dimes”. After the polio vaccine was created, NFIP worked to test and distribute the polio vaccine.

The foundation then shifted its focus onto the prevention of birth defects. The March of Dimes funded genetic research and established treatments across the US. Another shift in focus was towards a healthy pregnancy for both mother and child. March of Dimes focused on the medical and social effects on the health of mothers. Today, a lot of the focus from March of Dimes is on making sure all mothers of all backgrounds get appropriate treatment. [Add more about what March of Dimes is doing TODAY, in terms of all mother’ find new word for ‘focus’]

MP2: Today, March of Dimes is doing a #blanketchange campaign that invites participants to

ask state lawmakers for postpartum extension from 60 days to 12 months for Medicaid, new and improved newborn screening regulations that are uniform with federal law, and access and coverage of midwifery care and doula services.

March of Dimes’ services include prenatal education and support, NICU resources for staff and families, education and training for healthcare professionals, funding research, and working towards advancing equitable health outcomes for mothers and their children.

Here in California, they hosted an in person and virtual March for Change on April 27th. [Add more about what normal people can do- donate, volunteer, spread the word, etc. what specific things they have had an impact on-laws, research/breakthroughs]

MP3: Without the work of March of Dimes, there may not be a cure for polio (or have it as

soon, saved lives of people affected by polio), less known about birth defects, less funding for treatments for pregnant people, and less advocacy for those that can’t advocate for themselves. Like Ebony, other mothers, especially women of color, need equity in healthcare. Every child deserves to be born healthy and every mother deserves a healthcare system that takes them seriously. March of Dimes seeks to educate, fund, and research for the cause of helping give every mother and child a fair chance at a healthy life. Advocacy, education, and research of March of Dimes are aimed at leveling the playing field for mothers and babies.

In 2020 alone, March of Dimes has provided over 5,000 meals and masks, over 2,000 NICU bags with supplies, and has hosted 19 webinars that reach 1.4 million people. They have also supported more than 50k NICU families, provided mobile health units that provided 2,000 patient visits, and so much more through resources and education provided in person, and online. March of Dimes continues its research into preterm births and maternal health issues, continues its professional training in the effect of systemic racism and bias. March of Dimes also advocates for all mothers. They monitor state legislation, advocate through social media, and invite others to take action and donate. [have a transition/impactful thing about how much they do for women/people that get pregnant]

Conclusion: [why March of Dimes is essential to the end of the systemic racial,socioeconomic issues

in the healthcare system, to ending preterm/low birth weight babies, to giving a voice to those that can’t speak up, to educating healthcare providers, to impacting legislation to improve mother and baby outcomes]

You should support March of Dimes by donating, volunteering, advocating, or even just through educating yourself about the challenges mothers and their babies face throughout and after pregnancy. We should not let the next generation of mothers have to deal with navigating the healthcare system and having to advocate for appropriate treatment. Mothers should not have

to go through extra hoops to make sure their baby is born safely, that should be the basic outcome of a pregnancy. Our healthcare system is not perfect, but through the March of Dimes, we can try our best to correct preventable mistakes from having a negative impact on mothers and their babies.

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