Preeclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal and infant mortality

New legislaton aims to help states end maternal death and address devastating and costly health consequences that threaten the lives of moms and their babies

Melbourne, FL – More women in the U.S. die from complications related to pregnancy than in any other developed country. To address this alarming fact, the Preeclampsia Foundation is launching a grassroots campaign to secure support for bipartisan legislation titled the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017, H.R. 1318, during National Preeclampsia Awareness Month in May.

Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, this bipartisan legislation aims to help states establish or improve their maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) – interdisciplinary groups of local experts in maternal, infant, and public health – to examine maternal death cases and identify locally-relevant ways to prevent future deaths.

“As a driving force behind this legislation,” said Eleni Tsigas, Executive Director of the Preeclampsia Foundation, “we’re focusing this year’s awareness campaign – #Act2SaveMoms – on encouraging supporters to ask their members of Congress to co-sponsor this critically important bill.”

The U.S. ranks 47th globally for its maternal mortality rate, and women die every day in the U.S. due to complications from childbirth. Preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal death, and for every death, there are at least 50 times more cases of adverse outcomes. Significant health disparities exist in the U.S.: black women are three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related complication like preeclampsia than white women.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act seeks to mitigate these statistics by supporting MMRCs and promoting national information-sharing through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) so that states can continue to learn from best practices and collaborate with each other.

For more information about the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act and how to secure support from your House Representative, please visit www.preeeclampsia.org/Act2SaveMoms.

###

Media

For more information about preeclampsia or to arrange an interview with a patient, medical professional, or Eleni Tsigas, Executive Director, Preeclampsia Foundation, contact Debbie Helton, Director, Marketing and Communications, at 321.421.6957.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000. It is dedicated to providing patient support and education, raising public awareness, catalyzing research, and improving healthcare practices, envisioning a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.