What: November is Prematurity Awareness Month.

The Lowdown: Premature birth is the number one cause of death for newborns. In the USA, 1,400 babies will be born too early today. There is still so much research that needs to be done into why premature births happens, how it can be prevented and what needs to be done to ensure a healthy life for premature babies. This month is also about awarenesses: spreading the word that this is a very serious cause that needs our attention is part of this month’s campaign.

The Bottom Line: When my baby was born premature, not knowing why it had happened or what I could have done to prevent it was difficult and frustrating. Four out of ten premature births are unexplained, and this is just one of the many reasons premature birth need more research. 

Supporting the cause, however, doesn’t have to mean breaking your budget. Even if you can’t afford to donate to March of Dimes, you can still get involved in raising awareness this month and throughout the year—March of Dimes has sample letters to send to newspaper and magazine editors and they also have a sample email to send out to women you know. There’s always something you can do, so please take action.