The March of Dimes will host its first Jail & Bail event in the International Falls community.

The event, to be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 26 at Kmart, is intended to raise donations to assist the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Preterm babies are born at a higher rate in the United States than in 130 other countries of the world, including many poorer nations, according to the report “Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth.”

At this event, volunteer “jailbirds” serve time in a mock jail.  Prisoners are arraigned on trumped-up, outlandish charges, such as reckless golf-cart driving or smiling too much on a Monday morning. Jailbirds are then sentenced to spend an hour in the slammer to raise bail in the form of donations to the March of Dimes.

One in 10 babies in Minnesota is born premature, according to the March of Dimes. Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks completed gestation) is the leading cause of newborn death in the U.S. Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other lifelong problems. Babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. In addition to the human costs, preterm birth also has high economic costs: more than $26 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The 2012 report Born Too Soon ranks the U.S. 131st in the world in terms of its preterm birth rate of 12 per 100 live births, almost tied with Somalia, Thailand, and Turkey. Nearly half a million babies are born too soon in the U.S. each year.

Born Too Soon has an interactive map showing the preterm birth rates in the 184 countries in the report are available online at marchofdimes.com/borntoosoon. For a state-by-state breakdown of preterm birth rates within the U.S., see the March of Dimes 2011 Premature Birth Report Card online at marchofdimes. com/prematurity.

The March of Dimes is a leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.