The Preeclampsia Foundation announced the launch of a new national initiative to strengthen risk identification through a standardized wristband to help medical teams quickly recognize postpartum complications from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The “Still at Risk” initiative was announced as a public-private initiative at the National Conference on Women’s Health sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For over 25 years, the Preeclampsia Foundation has advocated for a world in which preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and their babies. Today, with the support of HHS, they are joined by leading national healthcare organizations to announce a new national initiative aimed at preventing postpartum deaths and strengthening awareness of maternal cardiovascular health among care providers and postpartum women.

The Preeclampsia Foundation has convened a multidisciplinary task force to harmonize the use of postpartum wristbands and an awareness campaign across health systems nationwide. Supporting organizations include the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, Premier Inc., the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, which oversees the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, and numerous state Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, among others.

“This unified effort is about ensuring that proactive awareness about postpartum risk doesn’t end when a new mother leaves the hospital,” said Preeclampsia Foundation Chief Executive Officer Eleni Tsigas. “By harmonizing wristbands nationwide with a single message and color, we can create a system in which the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, is immediately recognized and acted upon, regardless of where a woman seeks care.”

Over 80% of maternal deaths are considered preventable with timely recognition and intervention[i]. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, are a leading cause of maternal death. Postpartum preeclampsia can present between 48 hours and 6 weeks post-delivery[ii] and can be life-threatening for mom and baby. 

“Too many maternal deaths are preventable with timely recognition and action,” said Dorothy Fink, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health and Director of the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “A consistent, standardized approach to identifying postpartum risk can help ensure that warning signs are recognized quickly and that women receive the care they need when and where they seek it.”

Delivery is not the cure for preeclampsia. Despite growing awareness of postpartum complications, safety initiatives remain fragmented. Hospitals and programs across the country use more than a dozen different wristband colors and messages, creating inconsistencies that can hinder recognition of maternal health risks.

This task force aims to change that by partnering with top healthcare leaders to prevent postpartum deaths and strengthen awareness of maternal heart health among care providers and postpartum women.

“At HHS, we are committed to making the United States the safest place in the world to give birth, and we are proud to be part of this important initiative,” Fink said.

The standardized “Still at Risk” wristband national awareness campaign can improve identification of at-risk postpartum women, prompt conversations between women and providers, and help emergency teams quickly recognize maternal health complications after delivery. Visit “Still At Risk.org” for more information.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and accelerating research. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and their babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.

[i] https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html

[ii] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8857508/