Maternal health awareness: Lowering risk for pregnancy-related complications


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KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Pacific Islander women in Utah face high maternal mortality risks due to delayed care.
  • Dr. Jennifer Merriman emphasizes the importance of mental health support and regular checkups.
  • Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable with timely care and health optimization.

WEST VALLEY CITY — Mele Latu is a busy mom, with six kids ages 9 and younger.

"We get these kids, and we have no manual that comes with them," she said, laughing.

Latu is Pacific Islander and said when it comes to health, including maternal health, many in her community don't seek care or are unable to find quality care.

"We don't really go to the doctor," she said. "I feel like we wait till the very last minute. And then when we go, we're surprised by the answer. Most of the time when the Pacific Islander people get pregnant, our average first appointment that we go see the doctor is seven months."

Building trust with a maternal health provider

Over the years, Latu has learned the importance of building a relationship with a trusted provider.

"The more that you go (to the doctor), the more you realize that these people are really there to help you," she said. "That relationship is only built if you go to your appointments."

In Utah, Pacific Islander, as well as Black and Indigenous women, are most at risk for maternal mortality. These disparities can be linked to economic, social, and geographic factors.

"Of course, any woman in pregnancy can have an increased risk of adverse outcome. But there are certain populations that have an increased risk," said Dr. Jennifer Merriman, a maternal fetal medicine physician who cares for patients with high-risk pregnancies at Intermountain Health.

Your Life, Your Health

Vast majority of pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Merriman said while the leading cause of maternal mortality nationwide is cardiovascular disease, in Utah, the leading causes are drug overdose and suicide.

"It's vital everywhere in the U.S. and internationally, but particularly in Utah, for women as part of their maternal care to have access to quality mental health care providers and counselors to support them before they get pregnant, throughout a pregnancy, and then the increasingly stressful months to follow a pregnancy," she said.

Along with depression, other pregnancy complications can include hypertension, or high blood pressure. Infections, miscarriage, anemia, and gestational diabetes are other possible complications. Latu said she experienced gestational diabetes during her second-to-last pregnancy.

"That was new to me because I had never had gestational diabetes with any of my kids," she said.

Through medication, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise — like doing 10-minute walks with her family — she was able to deliver a healthy baby.

The importance of maternal health

Merriman stressed the importance of following your doctor's recommendations, like going to regular checkups, staying up to date on vaccinations, avoiding alcohol, and working closely with a provider, even before getting pregnant.

"It's important to seek care with whomever you see for your health care to make sure you have no medical problems that you wouldn't otherwise know of, and to try to find ways to optimize your health prior to conceiving a pregnancy," she said.

Latu added that in order to have a healthy baby, the mother needs to be healthy. "If you're not healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally, it takes a toll on the baby," she said. "If we worry about ourselves, even before the baby comes inside of us, that's the best way that we could set our baby up for success."

As a community health worker, she is helping educate others about resources that are available to moms and moms-to-be, so they can enjoy the healthiest motherhood possible.

"I am always trying to push people to go to their appointments," she said.

Resources

For more information about Intermountain Health's women and newborn services or to find a provider, visit intermountainhealth.org.

For women with a chronic or high-risk health condition who are considering pregnancy, the maternal fetal medicine department at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray has a Pregnancy, Preparation, Prevention and Risk Evaluation, or PrePPARE, clinic. This clinic offers pre-pregnancy risk assessments and evaluations. Call 801-507-7400 for more information.

For pregnant or new moms struggling with mental health, help is available. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a free, confidential service. It provides support for moms and their families before, during, and after pregnancy. You can call or text the hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or exhibiting warning signs, call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 which is answered 24/7/365 by crisis counselors at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. All calls to legacy crisis hotlines, including the old National Suicide Prevention hotline, 1-800-273-8255, will also connect to a crisis care worker at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute as well.

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The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Emma Benson, KSL-TVEmma Benson
Emma Benson is a storyteller and broadcast media professional, passionate about sharing truthful, meaningful stories that will impact communities. She graduated with a journalism degree from BYU, and has worked as a morning news anchor with KIFI News Group in Idaho Falls. She joined the KSL-TV team in October 2023.
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