Babies & Coronavirus: March of Dimes Launches Mom & Baby COVID-19 Intervention & Support Fund Kids' Health Newborns

March of Dimes has launched the Mom and Baby COVID-19 Intervention and Support Fund to help protect moms and babies from COVID-19, the new coronavirus disease. As the public grapples with the spread of the disease, March of Dimes is serving as a resource for moms and providing them with the information and resources they need to protect their families.

"Mothers across the nation are concerned about the spread of the coronavirus and the risk it poses to themselves and their infants," says Stacey D. Stewart, President and CEO of March of Dimes. "We're launching the Mom and Baby COVID-19 Intervention and Support Fund to support expecting mothers as they try to protect themselves and their infants from this coronavirus. We believe in leveraging our extensive network of advocates, donors, volunteers and other supporters to help protect moms and babies in this time of need."

March of Dimes will use funds raised from the Mom and Baby COVID-19 Intervention and Support Fund to support research for necessary interventions to prevent or treat COVID-19, advocate on behalf of moms and babies on this issue and educate the public about precautionary measures. This initiative will support, for example:

• Research for COVID-19 Interventions for Moms and Moms-to-Be: The $8.3 billion appropriated by Congress to address COVID-19 does not specifically allocate funds for research of interventions that pregnant or lactating women may be able to use. March of Dimes will support research to learn how moms and babies are impacted by COVID-19 and help fast track the development of interventions, such as a vaccine, for COVID-19 that are safe for pregnant and lactating women.

• Advocacy in Response to COVID-19 and Improvements in Access to Care for Moms and Babies: March of Dimes will call on government officials to include pregnant and lactating women in clinical trials for COVID-19 interventions. March of Dimes will work to ensure the most vulnerable populations across the nation have access to these vaccines and/or therapeutics once they are developed.

• Education for Parents about COVID-19: March of Dimes will leverage its vast network to inform parents about how best to protect their families from COVID-19. March of Dimes will elevate awareness and educate families across the country with the latest information about COVID-19 and ensure they stay informed about COVID-19 countermeasures in development and distribution. March of Dimes will work closely with hospital partners and other health-care systems to ensure their workforce and families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and women in pregnancy care programs are receiving the resources and information they need to keep themselves and their families safe.

"March of Dimes is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 around the U.S. and world," says Dr. Rahul Gupta, Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes. "Currently, we have little evidence that explains how COVID-19 will impact moms and babies. Through this fund, we will work to gather those important answers so that we can best serve moms and babies now and in the future. Today, we are here to support you and your family with the information you need to know during this global pandemic."

For more information about the fund and how you can support this initiative, visit MarchOfDimes.org/covid19fund.

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