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Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people who are pregnant.
It’s why the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute are using a $8.3 million grant to lead a nationwide study on maternal mortality.
The study, called the HOPE study, will look at outcomes of 1,000 pregnant people to create better care for moms with heart conditions during pregnancy.
Dr. Anna Grodzinsky is a St. Luke’s cardiologist and co-principal investigator of the HOPE for Mom and Baby study.
"We know that maternal outcomes are worse than they should be in the US," Grodzinsky said. "Thirty-percent of moms who have an adverse outcome around pregnancy can be explained by a cardiac issue."
Keya Rhodes is a mother of three who knows this firsthand. She’s a teacher with Richardson Head Start with KCPS.
Rhodes was also hospitalized for a week after delivering her third baby. She had preeclampsia — a serious pregnancy condition because of high blood pressure.
"My third child, I came here to have my baby, and I had aortic deficiencies and high blood pressure," she said. "It was just a whole experience that I wasn't ready for."
And it’s why she wanted to be a part of the pilot phase of the study.
"I just want to show other African American and minorities that you can still live a normal life after pregnancy, before pregnancy and during pregnancy," she said.
Ashley Gomez is a NICU nurse at St. Luke’s. She’s lived with and safely delivered children with a congenital heart condition.
"Caring for a baby, you get to hear a lot of the things that mom went through," Gomez said.
She was also part of the study’s pilot phase.
"If I can kind of be a voice of positivity for other moms, I want to be that," she said.
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