National Premature Birth
Awareness Week

24th - 30th November 2007

National Premature Birth Awareness Week*

Austprem Inc. is a registered non-profit organisation that began in 2000 when a group of parents formed a support group specifically for Australian parents of premature infants and children.

Today there are over 700 members of Austprem Inc., and our website gets around 1000 hits per month. This success story has been achieved through the vision and hard work of dedicated parents who aspire to help other parents through the prem experience.

As a response to the alarming rise in premature births within Australia over the last 10 years, Austprem Inc. has developed the BORN EARLY Campaign. The aim of this Campaign is to reduce the number of premature births through raising awareness and supporting research.

As a part of this Campaign, Austprem Inc. together with Earlybirds, is holding the inaugural National Premature Birth Awareness Week from 24 – 30 November 2007. There are two main foci to the Week. One is a celebration of those babies who have been born early; the other is to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms that may lead to premature birth.

Austprem Inc. has developed a new brochure “Pregnant? It’s probably nothing but it might be something.” The brochure contains a summary of the indications that may lead to premature birth and encourages women to check with their doctor, hospital or health care provider if they are at all concerned. This Campaign is of relevance to EVERY pregnant woman and we hope that you will support this worthwhile initiative. Brochures and more information are available at the website www.bornearly.org.au, or contact info@bornearly.org.au.

The BORN EARLY website http://www.bornearly.org.au, in particular http://www.bornearly.org.au/npbaw, details some event ideas that you or your customers/clients/members or staff could organise for your school or workplace, with your mothers’ group, the “kinder parents”, or with friends and family.

Posters are available for you to print out and display to promote the Week, or to encourage people to attend your event. Banners are also available to download to promote the week at the website. There is also a range of merchandise available for purchase through our online shop, with more to be added shortly.

Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

We hope that you will support National Premature Birth Awareness Week, by advertising the Born Early campaign widely on your website/forum and help solve the puzzle of premature birth.