MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – A life-saving program for pregnant women is expanding in Wisconsin.
This is a program that increases the mother’s blood pressure, whether she is pregnant or about to become pregnant.
The organization is currently based at UW Health in Madison, but is expanding beyond the hospital walls and across the state, including northeastern Wisconsin.
It is designed to monitor blood pressure during pregnancy and after delivery, reducing the chance of health complications and hospitalization.
We support people with high-risk pregnancies by sending them home with a blood pressure monitor. Your doctor will be alerted if your levels are a concern.
First Alert Safety Desk spoke with Jill Denson, director of the UW Health Madison Prevention Research Center. She said this expansion is about supporting the community.
The first step is to visit clinics and medical institutions to find areas where the program can be introduced.
University of Wisconsin Health says high blood pressure rates during pregnancy are rising nationally as well as regionally. It can often be a silent killer.
“If you start having some symptoms and you put it off thinking, ‘I’m going to feel better, I need to do this, I need to do that,’ that can be deadly.” It is completely preventable. That’s the important thing. It’s completely preventable,” Denson said.
Those symptoms include headaches, shortness of breath, and vision changes.
It is always important to consult your doctor if you are concerned about changes in your health.
The Mother Blood Pressure Program has helped more than 7,000 people since it launched in 2019 at Unity Point Health Meriter in Madison.
Copyright 2024 WBAY. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
