March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month – January 1, 2027

History of March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month

The March of Dimes is a non-profit organization that has been assisting pregnant women for over eight decades. It supports the health of all mothers and babies, aids research, leads programs, and educates young families on these matters. It is a collaborative effort between the March of Dimes and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (C.D.C.).

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who contracted polio in 1921, initially founded the March of Dimes to combat polio. At first, the foundation’s focus was to fund a polio vaccine, and once this was successful, the focus shifted to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality. Almost 3,100 local chapters that raise funds and deliver aid were subsequently set up. In 1958, the focus shifted again when the organization ventured into funding genetics research and establishing birth defect treatment centers in hospitals across the country. Dr. Virginia Apgar, an obstetrical anesthesiologist, also known for the famous Apgar Score, joined the March of the Dimes as Vice President for Medical Affairs during this period. The Apgar Score is a method of ascertaining the physical condition of newborns right at birth. Dr. Apgar also took a keen interest in premature births and brought attention to them as early as 1960.

Another significant change in goals arrived when the organization introduced its walk-a-thon fundraising events. These walking events became popular, and WalkAmerica turned into a successful fundraising event. The first walk-a-thon was held in the U.S. in February 1969, in York. The March of Dimes organization has a long and interesting history. Initially known as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis until the early 2000s, the organization’s formal name today is the March of Dimes Foundation.