Does the March of Dimes still fund shocking animal experiments?
In 2001, the March of Dimes provided nearly $200,000 to researchers at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center to cause uterine infections in healthy pregnant monkeys to try to trigger premature labor. In these experiments, researchers insert monitoring cables into the monkeys’ uteruses and into their babies’ bodies, tethering the animals in cages that are too small to meet animal care guidelines. When the babies are born, they are killed for further study. This is despite the fact that physicians have known for decades that bacterial infections are linked to pre-term birth. Mriganka Sur, who along with Douglas Frost published a paper describing notorious kitten-eyelid-sewing experiments,1 received a $49,337 grant from the March of Dimes for July 1, 1995, through June 30, 1996, to continue his experiments on visual development. Sur has published papers acknowledging March of Dimes funding at least as recently as 1998. These publications describe inflicting brain damage in newborn f