A Burst of Awareness: Good Pre-Pregnancy Heart Health Can Impact Both Mom and Baby

Recent research suggests that pre-pregnancy heart health is key to ensuring a healthy pregnancy and preventing cardiovascular disease in both the mother and child.

Taking good care of one’s health before conceiving is particularly crucial for women affected by racism in institutions and low social conditions. Cardiovascular disease causes more than one in four pregnancy-related deaths in the United States, with high blood pressure, early births, low birth weights, and gestational diabetes impacting about one in five pregnancies.

The study underlines the need for legislative changes to combat structural racism and other societal elements that compromise maternal health. In order to maintain optimal heart health, adhering to the American Heart Association’s Life Essential 8 is necessary, regardless of one’s age.