Statement by the President on March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month, January 1979

Fifteen million persons in America today have birth defects. Low birth weight is the most common root of such problems. It is not only the leading cause of infant mortality in this country, but also a major factor in disability during childhood. Thanks to the medical progress we have made, newborns weighing less than two and one-half pounds now have an almost fifty percent chance of survival. Only a few years ago their chances were less than twenty percent. But even with greatly improved newborn intensive care, many survivors are physically and mentally scarred for life. With proper nutrition and adequate care during pregnancy, low birth weight, like so many birth defects, can very often be prevented.

Another 200,000 babies are born each year with structural or metabolic defects. In addition, many disabling and lifeshortening disorders have their origin during pregnancy and birth. Many times these are not thought of as birth defects because symptoms may not appear until later in life.

It is my hope that during 1979, the International Year of the Child, we will marshal our best efforts to make reproductive health the focus of our priority national attention. We must assure every child the right to a healthy start in life. We must join with other nations of the world in protecting the well-being of children—the most precious resource of all.

Prevention of birth defects has long been the special mission of the March of Dimes. In every community of this country the March of Dimes has initiated educational and medical service programs to protect the unborn and newborn. It has increased the availability of prenatal care, started and supported programs to improve maternal nutrition, created a nationwide group of genetic centers and established and assisted newborn intensive care units. It has built a productive partnership with the community, the professions and government at all levels and proved how much can be accomplished by such a cooperative effort.

As we observe January 1979 as March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month, let us thank the March of Dimes for its critical leadership in this vital task, and let us strengthen our national commitment to our children and to their entry into life with a health future.