The Pantagraph had an interesting article about maternal mortality rates today. This is a topic close to my heart, since I could easily have been one of those statistics. The article focuses more on deep-vein thrombosis and post partum hemmorhage, but makes a passing reference to "uncontrolled blood pressure" aka pre-eclampsia.
Every pregnant woman should know the signs and symptoms of PE. I didn't when I was pregnant with Smartie. I went to the OB because I thought I was having an allergy attack. Thank God I did, because I was diagnosed with severe PE, induced prematurely, and heavily medicated to avoid seizure and stroke. If I had tried to make it through the weekend to my next appointment, I very likely could have died.
A few months after Smartie was born, an area woman did die of PE. I didn't know her personally, but we shared some mutual friends. She saw the same doctor, had the same diagnosis, was given the same advice (to head straight to the hospital for immediate induction and delivery). She decided she wasn't ready for the baby yet and wanted to wait one more week. She didn't make it. That could have been me.
More information can be found at the Preeclampsia Foundation.
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Praise God for your life and all your lovely children!
Deadly Delivery: The Right to Maternal Health
Every minute one woman dies as a consequence of complications during birth or pregnancy. That's more than 500,000 women a year, 1 woman every minute of every day. These women do not die of diseases that can't be treated or complications that can't be prevented. To quote Mahmoud Fathalla, former president of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “they die because societies have yet to determine that their lives are worth saving”.
Join us on April 19th 6:30pm at Riverside Church in New York for a Discussion about Maternal Mortality
Speakers Include:
Jennifer Dohrn, Certified Nurse Midwife Bronx & South Africa
Larry Cox, Amnesty International Executive Director USA as well as
Amnesty International Executive Directors from Sierra Leone, Peru and Burkina Faso
The rights of all women and girls matter!
Learn the truth about the world's missing mothers
For more information contact: 212.633.4215/tmcharris@aiusa.org
Sponsored by: Amnesty International, The Education Ministry;Social Justice Ministry; and Theatre of the Oppressed of The Riverside Church
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