Gerald R. Ford

“ The nation's most precious resource is our children. Each year, however, about 150,000 babies born alive in this country have some kind of birth defect. In the first year of life, birth defects are a leading cause of death. ”

“ Discovery that a baby has a birth defect is devastating to parents. In some families, however, the probability that a specific birth defect will occur can be predicted with some accuracy.
Some defects can be diagnosed before, at, or shortly after birth. Almost as many are discovered during the first year of life. A few do not become evident until years later. Some defects can be corrected during the earliest months of life, but others unfortunately result in life-long handicaps and are irreversible. ”

“ By joint resolution, the Congress authorized and requested that the President annually designate the month of January as March of Dimes Birth Defects Prevention Month. Only through a joint effort by government and the public it serves can we continue to improve the health of our most precious resource. ”