{"id":14002,"date":"2021-07-14T18:51:07","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T22:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=14002"},"modified":"2021-07-14T18:52:37","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T22:52:37","slug":"cronkite-news-new-initiative-addresses-maternal-mortality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/14\/cronkite-news-new-initiative-addresses-maternal-mortality\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: New initiative addresses maternal mortality"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Leticia<\/a>
Leticia and Vicente Garcia look at family photos at their home in Phoenix on June 29, 2021. Photo by Alberto Mariani \/ Cronkite News <\/figcaption>\r\n
Taking AIM: Arizona hospitals collaborate to fight maternal mortality<\/div>\r\n
Wednesday, July 14, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Mikenzie Hammel<\/div>\r\n
Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n
cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nPHOENIX, Arizona — Danielle Edwards, a registered nurse and mother of two, nearly died because of risky medical mistakes when she gave birth to both her children.

<\/p>\r\nDuring her first pregnancy in 2014, she gained 20 pounds in one week, a sign that her blood pressure was too high. Edwards said she was not given proper medication, putting her at risk for seizures and liver failure.

<\/p>\r\nIn her second pregnancy in 2016, Edwards said she experienced alarming fits of nausea and dizziness. In the delivery room, her placenta detached from her uterus, cutting off oxygen to her son and causing severe bleeding.

<\/p>\r\nShe knew something wasn\u2019t right but felt brushed off by hospital staff.

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWhen they realized that it had been going on for probably quite some time during my labor and delivery, that was kind of traumatic for me because I had been telling them something was wrong,\u201d said Edwards, who declined to name the hospital.

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThey had to put me on oxygen and put me on my left side and all these things. I just felt so terrible that I thought I was going to die. I thought he was going to die.\u201d

<\/p>\r\nEdwards \u2013 who\u2019s now 33 and director of nursing at Pima Medical Institute in Tucson \u2013 and her husband had planned to have four children but stopped after two because of safety concerns.

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIf you asked my husband, he’ll say, \u2018We couldn’t have had more kids because I didn’t want you to die. I didn’t want to raise my kids alone.\u2019\u201d

<\/p>\r\n \"Women's<\/a>

Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) is the unexpected conditions or outcomes of pregnancy, delivery or postpartum that aggravate or lead to significant negative effects on a woman\u2019s health and well-being. Source: Arizona Department of Health Services<\/a> <\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nEdwards\u2019 experiences inspired her to serve as the patient advocate on the new Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, to \u201cmake sure that hospitals are working to ensure education and safety of our moms out there.\u201d

<\/p>\r\nThe AIM Collaborative<\/a> brings together 33 hospitals across Arizona to help combat pregnancy-related deaths and address underlying causes using strategies based on evidence.

<\/p>\r\nThe collaborative launched its first program in May, providing hospitals with so-called \u201cpregnancy bundles<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a list of practices for both medical staff and patients \u2013 with a goal of reducing complications of hypertension by 20% over the next 18 months.

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThis is a gift to the mom, the care that’s delivered to them which is based on the evidence, meaning research and national guidelines,\u201d said Vicki Buchda, vice president of care improvement at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.

<\/p>\r\nThe U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed countries, according to a 2020 report<\/a> by The Commonwealth Fund, which points to a lack of providers and inadequate postpartum care.

<\/p>\r\nAbout 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of pregnancy-related issues, and about 60% of those deaths are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.

<\/p>\r\nBlack and Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and those disparities increase with age, according to the CDC<\/a>.

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<\/p>\r\nIn Arizona, Native American women are four times<\/a> more likely to die during birth than white women \u2013 the highest rate across the state.

<\/p>\r\nWith these deaths in the spotlight in recent years, federal and state officials have pushed for legislation<\/a> to protect mothers.

<\/p>\r\nIn 2018, former President Donald Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, which supports state maternal mortality review committees in tracking maternal deaths.

<\/p>\r\nThe next year, Arizona lawmakers established the Advisory Committee on Maternal Fatalities and Morbidity to review<\/a> data collection efforts and develop recommendations.

<\/p>\r\nBuchda said the AIM Collaborative is the first partnership of this size in Arizona that not only tracks data related to maternal health but actively works to find solutions.

<\/p>\r\nThe pregnancy packages<\/a> are designed to provide consistent health care protocols to help hospitals better prepare for, recognize, respond to and report on any complications caused by high blood pressure.

<\/p>\r\nFor example, facilities will receive standards to spot early warning signs for preeclampsia and evaluate pregnant women with hypertension, as well as protocols for educating patients about the signs of hypertension and preeclampsia.

<\/p>\r\nThe goal is to quicken response times when problems arise and integrate extensive followup care to ensure the safety of mothers.

<\/p>\r\n \"Danielle<\/a>

Danielle Edwards, 33, poses for a portrait at a park in Marana, Ariz., on July 1, 2021. Edwards, a registered nurse, almost died while giving birth to her second child due to severe bleeding. The experience motivated her to become a patient advocate with the Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, or AIM, to promote strategies to prevent fatalities during childbirth. Photo by Alberto Mariani \/ Cronkite News <\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAbout 7% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are related to hypertensive disorders, according to the CDC<\/a>. Other factors include cardiovascular problems, infection, hemorrhage or embolisms.

<\/p>\r\nDr. Andrew Rubenstein, head of obstetrics and gynecology for Dignity Health Medical Group at St Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, praised the AIM Collaborative approach of bringing together multiple hospitals and a variety of expertise to improve maternal health.

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWithout this, we have really failed to really address some of the health care issues that have been plaguing the ever-rising maternal health care crisis,\u201d Rubenstein said, noting the U.S. ranks \u201clowest among the high income countries for the parameters of maternal health, disparities and racial inequities and the social determinants of health.\u201d

<\/p>\r\nPregnancy-related complications have been rising and affect tens of thousands of women every year, the CDC reports<\/a>. Health experts aren\u2019t entirely sure why but point to women giving birth later in life and preexisting conditions, such as obesity.

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