Women’s Healthcare in the Spotlight

In March (2024), President Biden signed an Executive Order with the goal of investing in and improving healthcare for women. In it, he declared that “for far too long, scientific and biomedical research excluded women and undervalued the study of women’s health.”

The Order intends to identify areas where women’s health needs are not being met in terms of research; to support and prioritize research; to integrate women’s health into existing research; and to spur new research into women’s midlife health.

Shining Light on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

A study that was recently published underscores the need for emphasizing women’s health. According to Casey Crump, MD, PhD. of the University of Texas Health and Science Center and McGovern Medical School in Houston, and the lead author of a study on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Long-Term Mortality in Women, more than 40 million women experience complications during pregnancy.

Researchers investigated the long-term consequences of adverse pregnancy outcomes on mothers. Prior to this study, most research had been focused on how these complications impacted the babies who were born.

This longitudinal study analyzed the data for over two million women in Sweden who suffered from these major complications during pregnancy:

• Pre-term delivery
• Small for gestational age
• Preeclampsia
• Other hypertensive disorders
• Gestational diabetes

What they found was that women who experienced one of these problems continued to have “increased mortality risks decades later.” As much as we all like to think that we’ve made a full recovery from an illness or just had a once in a lifetime health scare, the truth of the matter for women who have complications during pregnancy is that whatever caused them to suffer in the first place could very well be connected to problems later in life. The study revealed women who had complications during pregnancy were more likely to have heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disorders, or cancer in later life.

The significance of this study on women’s healthcare cannot be overlooked. It highlights the need for healthcare professionals and patients to understand that a woman’s health during pregnancy has an impact on her overall health; therefore, this information must be shared among different practitioners and considered when determining care. Furthermore, the study concludes that women who have experienced complications “need preventive actions and long-term follow up for timely detection and treatment of chronic disorders associated with early mortality.”

More studies on pregnancy, birth, and women’s health are needed

The findings of this study hopefully will lead to changes in how women with pregnancy complications receive care after pregnancy. They also will lead to more questions, which in turn will lead to more studies and to better outcomes for pregnant women. Biden has started a movement that is long overdue.

We at The Eisen Law Firm stay current on issues affecting women, especially pregnant women. We need to know both the laws and medicine affecting pregnant women in order to give them the representation they need and deserve. If you or someone you love feels like you are not getting the care that you need, don’t hesitate to contact our experienced Cleveland birth injury lawyers to discuss your options not only for legal recourse and for obtaining the compensation you deserve, but also for helping to change healthcare for the better. To schedule your free consultation, call 216-687-0900 or contact us online today.