ABC’s prime time Emmy nominated program, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, would like to highlight a March of Dimes family who has a prematurity story.

Please note that families must own their home and the home should tie into their story: Either the home needs to be fixed in order to bring the baby home from the hospital or they spent all their savings on medical expenses, and their house has suffered greatly because of it.

If you know of a family who desperately needs their home repaired and/or totally remodeled, please ask them to send an email describing the family story with names and ages of everyone and why their house needs remodeling to Kelly Mooney at Kelly@emhe.tv, no later than June 15, 2007. If you have any questions contact Todd Dezen at 914.997.4608, or tdezen@marchofdimes.com. Click for More Info.

A study at the Indiana University School of Medicine found that the premature birth rates in the United States could be linked with increased use of pesticides and nitrates.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, pesticide and nitrate levels in surface water were highest May–June and lowest August–September. The highest prematurity rate occurred May-June (11.91 percent) and the lowest August-September (10.79 percent), regardless of maternal age, race, education, marital status, alcohol/cigarette use, or a urban/suburban/rural setting.

The study was conducted between 1996 and 2002 and included more than 27 million U.S. live births.

Original Story from e-Preemie

Shauna went to the doctor Friday for a full first pregnancy exam. They did another ultrasound since she’s still had some vaginal spotting. Still two babies in there! Definitely fraternal with two sacks and two placentas (My twins had two sacks but only one placenta, so could have been either fraternal or identical). Baby A’s gestation was estimated to be 9 weeks and 2 days along with a heartbeat of 171. And Baby B was 9 weeks, 1 day, 176 heartbeat. I plan to keep adding updates of Shauna’s Pregnancy Progress, so check back!

On a side note, the joke is that there is “something in the water” where Shauna works (Samuels Orthodontics) as her co-worker had twins last year, and another co-worker’s daughter is expecting twins as well!