SMFM Announces Launch of First Annual High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week, June 1-8
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) will launch its first annual High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week (HRPAW), June 1-8, a campaign to raise awareness among expectant parents and families, policymakers, researchers, and the public about high-risk pregnancies and the critical role that maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) subspecialists play in managing complex pregnancies and improving health outcomes. The week-long observance also calls attention to the need for federal and state policies that fund maternal health programs, expand access to MFM services, and support funding of research on treatments for high-risk pregnancies.
“High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week is an opportunity to not only highlight the essential role of MFMs in managing complicated pregnancies, it also focuses on the need to prioritize maternal health as an important public health issue,” said SMFM President Alison G. Cahill, MD, MSCI. “The US continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations, so there is an urgency to invest in research, expand access to quality obstetric care, and effectively address the stark disparities in maternal-fetal health outcomes that we see every day.”
Founded in 1977, SMFM is the medical professional society for obstetricians with additional training in treating high-risk, complicated pregnancies. MFMs are board-certified obstetricians with an additional board certification in the maternal-fetal medicine subspecialty. MFMs, also known as perinatologists, provide specialized expert healthcare for millions of people who have complex pregnancies.
Nearly one in five pregnancies in the US is considered high-risk. A high-risk pregnancy is one complicated by maternal or fetal health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, diabetes, hypertension or preeclampsia, fetal anomalies, genetic disorders, heart disease, infectious diseases, multi-fetal pregnancies, and placenta problems, among others. High-risk pregnancies result from preexisting maternal health issues or from complications that develop during pregnancy.
Each day during HRPAW, SMFM will promote and share educational resources on high-risk pregnancy topics for patients and families, clinicians, and advocates. SMFM will also host several online events, including a webinar open to SMFM members, partners, and the public:
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Safer Treatments, Healthier Families: Closing the Drug Development Gap for Pregnant and Lactating Patients
Virtual Briefing: Friday, June 5, 10 am ET
Register here.
SMFM will also host a Virtual Hill Day on June 3 for SMFM members to meet with their federal elected officials to advocate for invest in federally funded research focused on pregnancy, improved patient access to high-risk pregnancy care, and strong funding of public health and maternal health programs.
Other organizations are invited to serve as HRPAW Ambassadors to help amplify this week-long campaign by sharing SMFM resources with their members, colleagues, and communities, and encouraging participation in high-risk pregnancy care education events.
Visit High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week for more information.
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About SMFM
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for obstetricians who have additional training in high-risk, complicated pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 6,500 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to reduce disparities and optimize the health of high-risk pregnant people and their families. SMFM and its members are dedicated to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes and assuring medically appropriate treatment options are available to all patients.
Media Contact: Greg Phillips, Director of Communications, press@smfm.org