June 2017
PREECLAMPSIA FOUNDATION NEWS

Lifesaving maternal health legislation introduced in Senate
We're having success with our grassroots efforts to secure cosponsors for the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, H.R.1318
in the House of Representatives, and now its sister bill, the Maternal Health Accountability Act, S.1112, has been introduced in the Senate.

Since H.R.1318's introduction in early March, 50 cosponsors have joined the original four sponsors.

Let's build on this momentum and help these bills become reality so that no mother dies in childbirth from preventable causes like preeclampsia!

Take two easy steps to #Act2SaveMoms: call and email your Representative and Senators. Find out how to join the movement here!
Early warning signs for preeclampsia: A lesson for us all
By Eleni Tsigas, Executive Director

States and healthcare systems that are making a concerted effort to respond to the alarming maternal mortality and morbidity rate in this country are discovering something important. Neglect, delayed diagnosis, and inadequate management contributed to poor outcomes in women with preeclampsia and other hypertensive crises in pregnancy.
 
If you're a healthcare provider, you should know that protocols for early warning systems, including a list of criteria that indicate urgent bedside evaluation, have been created to facilitate more timely recognition and effective therapeutic intervention. While we don't yet truly understand the entire cause of preeclampsia and there is no sure fire prevention or treatment, much can be done with what we do know today.

Numerous guidelines, toolkits, and bundles have been created specifically to address the preventable morbidity and mortality associated with preeclampsia. While somewhat an oversimplification, it really boils down to just five things.

If you're an expectant mother or her advocate, you should expect your healthcare providers to be diligent in these five areas.

We appreciate our G.E.M.s!
You're invited to join a special program for dedicated donors called G.E.M. Short for Giving Every Month, this program makes giving to the Preeclampsia Foundation as convenient as possible for you, and offers several benefits.

Most importantly, turning your tax-deductible gift into monthly donations will make our shared mission of saving the lives of mothers and babies go even further.

As a G.E.M., you'll be with us every step of the way towards a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and infants. We offer different giving levels for budgets of all sizes so be a real G.E.M. and join this special program today!