Saint Luke’s awarded grant to reduce early deliveries

Saint Luke’s Health System has been awarded a 2011 program grant from the March of Dimes Foundation to fund efforts to reduce the rate of elective early deliveries and the resulting health risks associated with preterm births.

The $7,200 grant for the Late Preterm Birth Quality Improvement Initiative at Saint Luke’s will support the development of educational materials for health care providers, patients, and the community regarding risks associated with preterm deliveries. It will also bolster ongoing data and quality improvement activities focused on eliminating elective deliveries before 39 weeks gestation, said Sherry Marshall, vice president, Women’s and Children’s Services, Saint Luke’s Health System.

“While most mothers consider their pregnancy as a special experience, increasingly women are requesting elective deliveries days or weeks ahead of nature’s schedule, even when both mother and baby are perfectly healthy,” said Marshall. “The reality is that any early delivery comes with risks.”

Preterm birth is linked to health issues including breathing difficulty, sleep apnea, fluctuating body temperature, vision, hearing, feeding, and digestion issues and other motor and developmental complications.

The initiative is part of the comprehensive care for standard and high-risk pregnancies offered through hospitals in Saint Luke’s Health System.