Improving Birth Outcomes For Minority Women
The prevalence of preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is on the rise in South Florida.
According to Memorial Healthcare System, 9.4% of maternity patients across their three birthing hospitals are experiencing the effects of preeclampsia. That number is more than double the national 30-year average for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy of 4.2%.
Symptoms of preeclampsia include severe headache, vision changes, nausea or vomiting in the second half of pregnancy, abdominal or epigastric pain, sudden weight gain, and severe swelling, especially in the hands and face.
Preeclampsia can cause seizures, organ damage to the kidney, brain, liver, and cardiovascular system, and even death. It's the leading known cause of premature birth in the US, contributing to the high rate of stillbirth and infant death here. There is no cure for preeclampsia short of delivering the baby and the placenta and hoping that the mom's blood pressure and organ dysfunction improves.
With this disorder on the rise, Gisselle Carre, a Labor and Delivery Nurse at Memorial Hospital Miramar is actively engaged in spreading awareness to new and expecting mothers.
"We are treating more and more cases of preeclampsia in our system. Preeclampsia can occur as early as 20 weeks and up to six weeks postpartum, creating dangers for the mom and her unborn baby. It's the second leading cause of pregnancy-related maternal deaths here in the state of Florida," says Carre.
Preeclampsia on the rise, and local and national data backs that up. A recent generational study published in JAMA Network Open of 38 million pregnancies in the US found that new-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy had more than doubled for those born in the 1990s and 2000s compared with women born in the 1950s.
The FLDOH deemed that 72% of the pregnancy-related deaths due to hypertensive disorders here in Florida were preventable.
"Black women are three times more likely to die of a pregnancy-related cause. We can do better, but it starts with recognizing the health disparities that affect Black and Brown communities and ensuring they receive the care they deserve," says Carre.
Memorial Hospital Miramar, and their sister hospitals Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West deliver close to 13,000 babies per year. The hospital network serves this high-risk population, many of whom are non-Hispanic Black women with additional risk factors, the same population experiencing the profound effects of this increase.
Being over 35 years of age, having late or no prenatal care, and experiencing obesity and other complications make them more likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. These women also face a higher likelihood of having preterm babies, having a Cesarean delivery, and losing their or their babies' lives due to the severity of their disease process.
If you are pregnant or have a pregnant person in your life, ask them what they know about preeclampsia. Encourage them to visit the Preeclampsia Foundation's website at www.preeclampsia.org and learn more about the signs and symptoms. Make sure they go to every prenatal appointment to have their blood pressure checked.
Together, we can ensure that every mother and her baby make it safely through pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Content provided by Memorial Healthcare System
