Expert Available: More pregnant women are being diagnosed with a dangerous form of high blood pressure called eclampsia, according to a story in NPR. Eclampsia causes the heart to work extra hard and can damage organs and lead to the death of the mother and health problems for the baby.

Prenatal care and monitoring can detect this dangerous condition and alert doctors to start treatment that in some cases protects the mother and baby. Research also shows that US maternal mortality is also climbing and high blood pressure is a leading cause.

The George Washington University has experts available to talk about the high rates of maternal mortality and how eclampsia contributes to the deadly trend. To schedule an interview with an expert please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum katelyn.deckelbaum@gwu.edu or Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann@gwu.edu.

Emily R. Smith, an assistant professor of global health at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, published a study showing that pregnant women with COVID-19 are seven times higher risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. She can discuss the current trends in maternal mortality and why COVID-19 puts pregnant women at greater risk.

Amita Vyas, Director of the GW Maternal and Child Health Center at Milken Institute School of Public Health, can discuss the maternal mortality rate in the United States and what can be done to keep mothers and new babies healthy from the start.

Julia Strasser, Director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, can discuss maternal mortality in the US. Her research focus is on access to health care and how that can affect a woman’s health.

Nancy Gaba, is a professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She also serves on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee

Linda Cassar, clinical associate professor at the GW School of Nursing, has worked primarily with the maternal/child health patient population over her 30 years as a nurse, working in Labor and Delivery, Mother/Baby, High-Risk Antepartum, and Outpatient Community Perinatal Education. Cassar’s research includes evaluating nurses’ support for newly delivered breastfeeding mothers as well as factors that contribute to compassion fatigue in Labor and Delivery nurses and how compassion fatigue in L&D nurses might contribute to higher maternal mortality rates. Newswise/SP