FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 15, 2019 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
wellness
Maternal morbidity and mortality: Your guide to healthy pregnancy
Every year in the United States, approximately
700 women die as a result of
pregnancy or delivery complications, and
more than 50,000 experience unexpected
health problems, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Some pregnancy complications
(for example, morning sickness) are
not usually serious, but others, such as
high blood pressure, can become severe
enough to threaten a mother’s life. Such
complications can occur during pregnancy
or delivery and in the months, or even
years, following delivery.
Teenagers, as well as women who are
older than 35 years of age, women who are
African American or Native American,
and women who are pregnant with twins
may be at higher risk for pregnancy complications.
Chronic medical conditions
prior to pregnancy - such as cardiovascular
disease, high blood pressure and diabetes
- can also increase the risk for complications.
Th e good news is that there are
a number of things that all women can
do to stay healthy and reduce their risk of
pregnancy complications.
1. Talk with your health care
providers and make a plan
Speak with your health care providers
about your intention to become pregnant
or as soon as you fi nd out that you
are pregnant. Work with them to develop
a plan so you can be your healthiest
before, during and aft er pregnancy.
Some pregnant women are eligible for
Medicaid. Th ese benefi ts are discontinued
aft er delivery, but moms may qualify
for further assistance from one of
the nearly 1,400 health centers funded
by the Health Resources and Services
Administration. Find a center at https://
go.usa.gov/xyyAn.
Consult health care professionals about
your use of any drugs or supplements.
If you have a chronic medical condition,
it is particularly important to develop
a plan to manage it appropriately
from early pregnancy through postpartum.
Discuss your individual and family
health history during medical exams,
including problems during prior pregnancies
and postpartum periods, as well
as the signs of pregnancy complications
and how to manage them if they arise.
Social workers, community health
professionals, midwives, doulas, family
members and friends can also provide
valuable support during and aft er
your pregnancy. And you know when
something is not right with your body,
so let someone know! “Pregnant women
need a team of people to help them have
the healthiest pregnancy possible, so it’s
really important to have a supportive
network,” says Dr. Samia Noursi of the
Offi ce of Research on Women’s Health
(ORWH), a part of the National Institutes
of Health.
2. Have a healthy lifestyle by
eating well and being active
Diet and regular exercise can help you
maintain a healthy weight to build a foundation
for a healthy life and reduce the risk
of pregnancy complications. Th e CDC
website has a handy chart for determining
healthy weight gain during pregnancy,
at https://go.usa.gov/xyy7V, and off ers
guidelines on physical activity during
pregnancy, at https://go.usa.gov/xyy7G.
Th e U.S. Department of Agriculture off ers
a special web page on healthy eating for
moms and pregnant women at https://
go.usa.gov/xyy76.
3. Take care of your
mental health
Some emotional ups and downs are
normal. In fact, many women feel overwhelmed,
sad or anxious at diff erent times
during and aft er pregnancy. For many
women, these feelings go away on their
own. If you continue to experience sad
or anxious moods, loss of interest in
fun activities, problems concentrating or
other symptoms of depression or anxiety,
or if these feelings get worse, talk
with someone so you can manage them
and take care of yourself and your baby.
To learn more, see this resource from
the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD): https://go.usa.
gov/xyy7J.
4. Start prenatal care early, and
attend all scheduled visits
Research shows that starting prenatal
care early and going to these visits regularly
can decrease risk of pregnancy complications.
Typically, this means prenatal
care visits monthly during the fi rst 28
weeks, every two weeks between weeks
28 and 36, and weekly from week 36
to delivery. Care for pregnant women
should continue aft er delivery. Th e
American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends a
follow-up visit within the fi rst 3 weeks of
giving birth and a comprehensive assessment
no later than 12 weeks aft er delivery.
Moms-to-be can fi nd more information
on the many steps they can take
toward a healthy pregnancy at the websites
of NICHD (https://www.nichd.
nih.gov/health/topics/preconceptioncare/
conditioninfo/healthy-pregnancy),
ORWH (www.nih.gov/women/maternalhealth),
the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ Offi ce on Women’s
Health (https://www.womenshealth.gov/
pregnancy), and ACOG (https://www.
acog.org/Patients). Would you like to tell
researchers about your experiences during
pregnancy and aft er giving birth?
Check out PregSource (https://pregsource.
nih.gov), a research project that
aims to learn about the pregnancy experience
directly from women.
Courtesy BPT
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