Editor's note: This article was updated at 6:50 p.m. on May 22 to reflect that low-dose aspirin, not tylenol, is safe for both the parent and the child. Tonya Faires said 53% of the patients come from counties, not countries, that are maternal care deserts.
Medical providers in Norman and at OU are working to combat the issue of maternal health care deserts and poor health outcomes for pregnant people in Oklahoma.
One particular condition that concerns maternal care providers in the state is pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. While the exact causes of the medical condition are still being researched, it is known that pre-eclampsia can cause problems during pregnancy as well as long-term complications for the parent.
Stephanie Pierce, a professor and doctor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, said many pregnant people who have experienced preeclampsia went on to have liver and kidney damage as well as high blood pressure following birth.
Pierce emphasized it is important pregnant people are screened regularly for pre-eclampsia and health factors that contribute to it. Melissa Warde, a project manager with the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, said some of the risk factors include first-time pregnancies, the use of IVF and being low-income.
Pre-eclampsia also disproportionately affects Black people, Warde said, due to systemic factors affecting their access to quality medical care as well as bias within the medical system. In the U.S., Black people are 60% more likely to develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy than their white counterparts, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
While pre-eclampsia is a major concern for pregnant people, the current standard for the condition is more reactive than proactive, Warde said. However, some pregnant people can mitigate the risk of developing pre-eclampsia by taking low-dose aspirin.
Pierce said low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy, which lowers the frequency of preeclampsia by 15-20% in people with risk factors. Warde said that about 70% of pregnant Oklahomans could benefit from taking low-dose aspirin.
While low-dose aspirin is safe for both the parent and the child, she did suggest people consult with their medical providers first.
“It’s a conversation that needs to happen between the patient and the doctor,” Warde said.
However, seeing a provider can be difficult in Oklahoma. Warde said, following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a state-wide shortage of health care professionals.
Additionally, following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, obstetrics providers have been leaving the state. Pierce said she knows some people who left Oklahoma because of the strict abortion laws that have been enacted.
The challenge to find maternal care in Oklahoma did not begin in 2020, though. Pierce explained that many counties within Oklahoma are maternity care deserts, areas that do not have birthing hospitals or obstetrician-gynecologists.
Tonya Faires, the Perinatal Quality and Safety Program administrator at Norman Regional Hospital, said 53% of patients the hospital treats come from counties that are maternal care deserts. However, she said Norman Regional Hospital is taking steps to provide improved care to pregnant people and parents in the area.
Through the Joint Commission, Faires said Norman Regional was the first hospital in the state to establish a Perinatal Center of Excellence. She said to earn and maintain the title, the hospital has to meet high standards and expectations set by the Joint Commission that are also regularly raised, encouraging accountability.
Warde said the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative works with birthing hospitals like Norman Regional Hospital to improve care for pregnant people and babies, including in the effort to prescribe low-dose aspirin.
Amy Hawley, the nursing supervisor for the Norman Regional Hospital Labor and Delivery and Obstetrical Emergency Departments, said everything about providing medical care to parents requires a lot of people.
“It’s a team effort,” Hawley said. “It’s everybody.”
When Faires was pregnant with her first child, she developed pre-eclampsia. She said she has had life-long blood pressure issues because of that and she is happy that preventative methods like low-dose aspirin are now available.
“I think it’s gonna be a game changer for a lot of patients just like me,” Faires said.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd, Anusha Fathepure and Ismael Lele. Avery Avery copy edited this story.
