Maybe the fog was a good place to start.

It was symbolic, at any rate.

Walkers, many of them pushing strollers, lined up in some pea soup near the steps of the state Capitol on Saturday morning for the March of Dimes' 37th annual WalkAmerica fundraiser.

Like the walkers, who couldn't see through the fog to the other end of the mall, doctors are having trouble seeing why an increasing number of babies are being born prematurely.

In North Dakota, the rate of premature births has gone up 33 percent in the last 15 years.

"In about half the cases we don't know why,"Mary Tintes, community director for the state March of Dimes chapter, said. "The mothers are taking good prenatal care and doing everything right. That's what the research is looking into."

Hundreds of walkers registered for the Bismarck event, the fifth of seven to be held across the state this year. The walkers raised money prior to Saturday's stroll; a complete tally was not immediately available. Nationwide, WalkAmerica has raised more than $1.7 billion since its inception in 1970.

Donations go directly to help find the causes of premature birth and how it can be prevented. Money also supports families whose babies must spend time in neonatal intensive care units, and is spent on programs to provide women with the latest information on having a healthy pregnancy.

One out of eight babies in North Dakota is born prematurely, Tintes said. About 20 babies a week are born here that weigh less than 3 1/3 pounds.

Not only was Saturday's walk a reminder of what needs to be done to help, but it was also a celebration of what can result from donations. The event started when 10-year-old Courtney Smith, of Palermo, sang the national anthem. Courtney and her twin sister, Taylor, were born on Valentine's Day in 1997 - about three months premature.

One of Taylor's lungs collapsed at birth, and Courtney lost her vision.

Although the little girl couldn't see the effect she had on the crowd Saturday, she could feel it.

"It feels good to help people," she said. "I started singing when Iwas a baby. When Istarted talking, I started singing. It's fun."

Also buzzing around the Capitol on Saturday were Cade, Jayden and Lucas Kivisto, the triplets born in 2002 to Matt and Nicole Kivisto, of Bismarck. They were born 10 weeks premature and each weighed less than 2 pounds. The triplets spent a couple of months in the NICU before they were able to go home.

The blonde boys couldn't have looked healthier Saturday, as they ran around the parking lot with their sister, Jenna, and their cousin, Julia, who was also a premature baby.

"We're thankful to the March of Dimes for the help we had, and want to help raise money for the parents of other children who have to spend time in the NICU," Melissa Gordon, Julia's mom, said.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com.)