CURRENT ISSUES IN PREECLAMPSIA

1.  Racial inequity in maternal health: our organization recognizes that Black and Indigenous women in the United States have worse maternal outcomes, including the many women affected by hypertension in pregnancy. We are working to address racial equity at all levels: nationally, by officially endorsed and advocating for focused legislation like the Black Maternal Health Caucus “Momnibus"; systematically, by partnering with organizations like the Association of Black Cardiologists, Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project, Black Women for Positive Chnge, and other Black-led organizations to educate providers about implicit bias in patient care; and individually, by continuing to amplify the voices of women of color in the Preeclampsia Foundation community by sharing their stories and by ensuring their representation on our Patient Advisory Council and through our MoMMAs Voices Certified Patient Family Partners.
   
2. Self-monitored blood pressure: The current COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected prenatal and postpartum obstetrics care. Many in-person visits for prenatal and postpartum care have been eliminated. This means that blood pressure screening, urine tests, and a review of signs and symptoms, which are all recommended care throughout pregnancy, are hampered or missing for thousands of women each day. As a first step to address the need for self-monitored blood pressure, the Preeclampsia Foundation started providing the Cuff Kit™ in June 2020 to women at highest risk of developing preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – especially to our most vulnerable populations. The kit includes a validated automatic BP device, educational tools around signs and symptoms, postpartum risk, “How to take your own blood pressure” information sheet and video, BP log tracker, and additional evidence-based information online. Read more
3. The need for better ways to predict and prevent preeclampsia through biomarker tests: A key component needed in the fight against preeclampsia, and perhaps the most urgently needed, is the development of tests for simple, rapid, and accurate diagnosis and prediction. Biomarkers are powerful laboratory tools that can be used to detect or predict pathology before symptoms, such as elevated blood pressure, are present. These unique biological products are found throughout our body and may be quantifiable by a simple blood, urine, or even a saliva test at various points in the disease process. Biomarker studies and clinical adoption must be prioritized and accelerated if we are going to save the lives and improve health outcomes of preeclamptic mothers and their babies. It is with great urgency that we call upon leaders in research, industry, regulatory bodies, policy makers, professional societies, and eventually payers to engage and address this call to action, removing barriers and accelerating the development and adoption of biomarkers to improve screening and diagnosis of hypertensive and placental disorders of pregnancy. Read more

ABOUT PREECLAMPSIA

Thousands of women and babies get very sick each year from a dangerous condition called preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Preeclampsia and related disorders such as gestational hypertension, HELLP syndrome, and eclampsia are most often characterized by a rapid rise in blood pressure that can lead to seizure, stroke, multiple organ failure, and even death of the mother and/or baby.

The Preeclampsia Foundation's purpose is to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure.

We envision a world where hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and their babies.

PRESS COVERAGE

The Preeclampsia Foundation has been featured in many national publications, including:

‘She Didn’t Seem Right Yet’: The Deadly Threat to New Mothers - Sep 2024	New Screening tool can identify preeclampsia risk sooner, test maker says - May 2024	How Unconscious Bias in Health Care Puts Pregnant Black Women at Higher Risk - December 2023
What is eclampsia, the condition that may have contributed to Olympian Tori Bowie's death? - June 2023	A leading cause of maternal mortality is something few moms worry about - May 2023	To prevent preeclampsia, experts push for broader blood pressure testing at home - April 2023
Why pregnancy and birth complications are up during the pandemic - August 2022	Why a Life-Threatening Pregnancy Complication Is on the Rise - August 2022	Patients Lift Their Voices To Advance Maternal Health - August 2022
Maternal and infant health: Looking beyond delivery - December 2021	A silver lining to the pandemic: At-home care helps patients detect life-threatening illnesses - August 2020	Hospitals know how to protect mothers. They just aren’t doing it. - July 2018
The Last Person You'd Expect to Die In Childbirth - May 2017	Beyond Downton Abbey: Preeclampsia Maternal Deaths Continue Today - January 2013

AVAILABLE SPEAKERS

CONNECT WITH OUR CEO	CONNECT WITH OUR MEDICAL EXPERTS	CONNECT WITH OUR PATIENT COMMUNITY
CEO Eleni Tsigas is frequently engaged as an expert representing the consumer perspective on preeclampsia, including the delivery of keynote addresses for several professional healthcare provider societies.	The Preeclampsia Foundation Medical Advisory Board is comprised of the who's who of preeclampsia clinical care, research, and expert commentary.	Our active, engaged patient community can provide the lived experiences and personal narratives that help drive home the real-life impact of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

USEFUL LINKS

• About Preeclampsia
• About The Preeclampsia Foundation
• About the MoMMAs Voices Coalition
• Fact Sheet
• Preeclampsia Awareness Month & Maternal Health Statistics