California Health Professional Student Alliance (CaHPSA)

Maternal mortality is the term used to describe the death of a mother as a result of complications during pregnancy, complications during childbirth, or termination of pregnancy. Although the state of California has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates out of any state within the United States, 91 Californians passed away within a year of having a child in 2021; this statistic illustrates an urgent need for increased efforts to decrease the maternal mortality rate within the state. This proposal mandates that maternal healthcare providers throughout the state of California educate expectant mothers regarding the maternal-mortality-contributing conditions preeclampsia and eclampsia in order to increase awareness and mitigate the effects of these conditions. This education may be provided through physical and/or online educational resources made accessible to the pregnant individual at earliest during their first trimester and no later than the beginning of their third trimester of pregnancy. The preventative measure of early education regarding these conditions would play an essential role in decreasing the maternal mortality rate through educating expectant mothers regarding signs and symptoms of preeclampsia and eclampsia, increasing chances of early detection and therefore preventing mortal outcomes.