Prematurity Prevention Resource Center

The March of Dimes has created the Prematurity Prevention Resource Center as a single-source web-based repository of information and tools on prematurity and prematurity prevention. The site is targeted to a professional audience, including health care professionals, public health professionals, insurers, payers, employers and policy makers. Consumers will be able to access the site, but the site is not initially targeted to them.

The Resource Center has comprehensive information on prematurity, including definition, risk factors, relationship to stillbirth, epidemiology, costs, and the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. The Resource Center also hosts prematurity prevention information and programs, such as the community-based intervention program Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait. Other sections on the site include new abstracts from peer-reviewed papers, educational materials, clinical and systems support, public affairs and advocacy, global initiatives, disparities, and NICU Family Support. The added value of the Resource Center, besides being one-stop shopping for prematurity-related information, is that it will become the focal point for the Prematurity Prevention Network, a global coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting prematurity prevention. The Network is being conceptualized this year with a formal launch in 2012. As the Network becomes established, its presence and visibility on the Resource Center and its use of the Center as its primary communication platform will expand.

The presentation will feature highlights of the site, plans for expansion, and feedback from users.