ATLANTA — Georgia remains among the worst states for maternal mortality, and the most recent state data shows cardiac issues are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths.
But behind the scenes, efforts to save lives continue. Piedmont Atlanta is launching its own plan to tackle the crisis through an all-new cardio-obstetrics program.
"It's a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach," Dr. Jyoti Sharma explained. "A lot of women, when they are thinking about becoming pregnant, they don't even realize they may have cardiovascular risk factors."
For Sasha Williams, signs of high blood pressure began to emerge around her 30th week of pregnancy. She gave birth to her daughter, Summer, via cesarean section at Piedmont Hospital.
But it was only after being discharged that Williams said her breathing worsened.
"I couldn't even hold her up," Williams told 11Alive. "I couldn't breathe correctly."
Her condition ultimately prompted a return to Piedmont, where she was cared for by the cardio-obstetrics team.
"When she came in, we found that her blood pressure was very, very high," Dr. Sharma said. "She had fluid in her lungs, and a lot of her blood work was very abnormal."
Williams was ultimately treated for preeclampsia, driving home the importance of follow-up visits postpartum. The critical nature of the six weeks after a woman gives birth is not talked about enough, Dr. Sharma said.
"I think a lot of people don't realize is that actually the greatest number of deaths occur in the postpartum period, and really, those first few weeks after delivery are really critical to taking care of women's health," she said.
Yet, doctors also recognize that time period can be among the most difficult period for new moms.
"So after we hear from a patient's OB/GYN that they've delivered, we have a structure so we can get those women into our office and continue to provide very close follow-up," she said. "And I think it's really hard to do that because after you have a baby, you are exhausted. You are tired. All of your focus is on your baby."
The program also offers telemedicine to further increase access, and while Dr. Sharma said that Piedmont's heart program has long cared for pregnant women, the new team formalizes that mission amidst the maternal health crisis in Georgia.
"We really knew that we needed to give this a name, really focus on this, and really sort of put out the message to our partners in the OB/GYN community, but also the community at large," Dr. Sharma said.
"There is very clear data that shows when you take this multidisciplinary approach and that is collaborative, that women and their babies do better," she added.