(Carrie Feibel/KUHF Public Radio)
The March of Dimes has tapped three local Houston hospitals to join a campaign against premature birth. The motto of the new program is “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait.”
It seems obvious that parents would wait as long as it takes to have a healthy baby. But some ob-gyns have been scheduling deliveries early, even when there’s no medical reason for it.
Dr. Joanie Hare delivers at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. “I think over last 10-15 years, women have requested that they want their moms and families to be in from out of town and everything is based on a schedule because everyone has a blackberry and an iPhone and we want to schedule our lives.”
But the medical reality is this: babies should gestate until 39 weeks, at least. Even babies born one or two weeks early can have problems eating or breathing.
The new campaign will study pre-term birth at three hospitals and three clinics in Houston, including Kelsey-Seybold. Women at those facilities will be educated about the importance of waiting until 39 weeks, and so will their doctors….
(Listen to the full story at KUHF Public Radio)
OTHER HEADLINES:
- 6 Tornadoes Confirmed During Wednesday Storms (KPRC 2 News)
- Houston 12-Month Jobless Claims Hit Lowest Level Since 2007 (KUHF Public Radio)
- Katy Principal Wins Promotion Despite Abuse Scandal (KRIV 26 News)
- Houston Housing Director Resigns (Houston Chronicle)
- METRO Debuts Visions for a New Rail Central Station (Houston Chronicle)
- Obama Pushes Natural Gas on Swing-State Tour (The Hill)
OPINIONS OF NOTE:
- Loren Steffy: President Needs a Dose of Energy Reality (Fuel Fix)
- Andrew Kohut: Don’t Mind the Gap (New York Times)