The Common Item That Is Keeping New Moms Healthier
Keeping a blood pressure cuff at home to monitor blood pressure during pregnancy and in the months following has been found to keep new moms, particularly those of color, healthier overall by catching potentially serious complications early.
Blood pressure is a critical component that needs to be measured frequently during pregnancy and for several months postpartum using a blood pressure cuff. If a woman’s blood pressure goes unchecked while pregnant, it can result in a number of serious complications, not just for the mom but the baby as well.
Medical professionals are monitoring this component very closely by sending special blood pressure cuff to their patients’ houses where they can frequently check their blood pressure, and the results are sent automatically to them.
Unfortunately, this check is even more critical to expectant mothers of color than Caucasian women. Black women are twice as likely to experience pregnancy-related complications than white women and a mind-blowing three times as likely to miscarry their child.
America is frequently called the most powerful country in the world but has the worst mortality rate for pregnant women in the Western world. The numbers have been increasing and hit a worrying 40 percent in 2021. A high amount of these problems have accorded by inadequate monitoring of expectant mothers’ blood pressure.
Mothers who are women of color suffer from high levels of hypertension, and if it is not caught in time, numerous complications could happen. Monitoring how much force the blood pumping through our veins is putting on the vein walls is vital to a pregnant woman’s overall health. When that pressure is higher than expected, pre-eclampsia can occur. This condition can lead to major side effects, including stroke, low baby weight, and pregnancy loss.
Black pregnant mothers are more likely to suffer from this condition, so they need extra care. Blood pressure is something that can change in an instant, which is why some doctors are monitoring their patients daily by using the blood pressure cuff to ensure that they are getting the best care they need and deserve.
If a patient’s blood pressure number is abnormally high, they can be treated straight away with a new medication or a hospital stay, if needed. In very severe cases, babies could need to be delivered early to avoid any serious side effects. These babies will need to be monitored for a short time after delivery in case of infection or worse.
But at-home monitoring using the blood pressure cuff allows medical professionals to spot problems early and act quickly. This program started during the pandemic, as in-person medical visits were suspended, but it has been kept due to its success.
This ongoing effort is the latest intuitive to eliminate racial bias in medical care and have all patients receive the same level of medical care using the blood pressure cuff. As the disparities are coming to the forefront, it is good to see real change being made to sectors of medical care like pregnancy.
Another area that is being challenged is bias in decision-making during medical care. It was uncovered that these medical decisions were taking twice as long in women of color. Regardless of the color of your skin, ethnicity, or background, everyone is entitled to the same level of medical care, especially if it is life-threatening to you or your unborn child.
