Hypertension is a leading complication of pregnancy. In fact, one in every 12 to 17 pregnancies is affected by the condition.
One specific form called preeclampsia is even more common, affecting roughly one in seven pregnancies each year. It can progress to eclampsia, a dangerous condition involving seizures, stroke or even death.
Dangers Persist After Delivery
While many health risks peak during delivery and then subside, hypertensive risk doesn’t always end with childbirth. Ten percent of women develop postpartum hypertension, which can cause serious complications, including stroke. Obesity and advanced maternal age can also contribute to hypertensive risk, with both factors edging upward over the past 20 years.
Those who’ve had preeclampsia or gestational hypertension face a greater risk of chronic high blood pressure and other conditions later in life. Proper postpartum screening and care procedures can reduce the risks significantly. But many patients, particularly in underserved communities, receive inadequate postpartum monitoring and blood pressure management.
Black Women Bear a Greater Burden
Black women are more likely to develop preeclampsia and are two to three times more likely to die from hypertensive complications than White women. These disparities cannot be reduced solely to biological differences, but stem from a complex web of structural barriers and underlying social determinants of health.
Deliberately expanding the availability of blood pressure screening, early intervention and consistent postpartum follow-up remain critical to reducing disparities and ensuring all mothers and babies get a healthy start.
Most Don’t Know They Have It
Hypertensive disorders are a deadly risk factor for women worldwide, regardless of their maternal status. Nearly half of all women in the United States have high blood pressure, with highest rates in women beyond childbearing years. Despite the proportion of women effected, most don’t know they are at risk and fewer still understand how to manage the condition.
Around Mother’s Day is a natural time to spotlight maternal health. And May presents an excellent opportunity for patients to get checked and better understand their risks. But this attention must extend beyond Mother’s Day.
Awareness campaigns, expanded access to preventive and postpartum care and culturally competent interventions should become mainstays not just this month, but all the time.
