A leading driver of maternal mortality and morbidity, preeclampsia impacts 1 in 12 pregnancies
As May marks Preeclampsia Awareness Month, leading maternal health experts, preeclampsia survivors and industry leaders have come together on a new campaign, “Preeclampsia Prevention is Possible.” The campaign elevates awareness of a major paradigm shift underway focused on the prevention of the disease, encouraging the use of evidence-based strategies so pregnant patients and providers can actively work together to create the healthiest pregnancy possible.
“Preeclampsia is often viewed as a complication with limited ability to intervene early and lower the risk of developing the condition,” said Eleni Tsigas, CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation and preeclampsia survivor. “However, all year long, and especially during Preeclampsia Awareness Month, we’re amplifying the message that we are in an era where we can better predict, prevent, and prevail over the adverse outcomes caused by preeclampsia. Providers have tools in the preeclampsia toolbox to work proactively with their patients to prevent this serious pregnancy complication and decrease its lifelong health effects.”
Impacting one in 12 pregnancies, preeclampsia can send a seemingly normal pregnancy into a crisis in a matter of days or even hours. Preeclampsia also takes a toll on moms and their families across a lifetime:
“We must not accept that there’s nothing we can do to prevent pregnancy complications like preeclampsia,” said Christopher Robinson, MD, MSCR, FACOG, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Charleston Maternal Fetal Medicine. “When leveraged, these strategies can create better outcomes for moms and their babies' immediate and long-term health by preventing more cases of preeclampsia.”
“Driven by technology to predict preeclampsia months in advance, there will be a major shift from reactive to proactive care in how we manage and hopefully prevent preeclampsia,” said Maneesh Jain, CEO and co-founder of Mirvie, a company developing predictive tools and support that drive preventive and personalized pregnancy care. “With objective, personalized data, pregnant patients can finally know their risk, create a plan and work with their care team to take every possible measure to prevent preeclampsia.”
Patients and providers can access the educational toolkit at PreeclampsiaPrevention.com. The toolkit offers pregnant patients as well as those planning a pregnancy a discussion guide on what should be addressed about preeclampsia when speaking with their care teams and highlight evidence-based strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines to prevent preeclampsia, including taking baby aspirin; dietary, exercise, and sleep recommendations; and monitoring blood pressure at-home.
Mirvie is delivering predictive tools and support that drive preventive and personalized pregnancy care. One in five pregnancies is impacted by complications that lead to lifelong health consequences for expecting parents and babies. The proprietary Mirvie RNA platform uses a simple blood test to reveal vital information about a pregnancy’s unique biology and detect complications months before they occur. The idea for Mirvie was sparked by the personal experience of one of the founders whose daughter was born prematurely. Mirvie’s team of world-class scientists and entrepreneurs have brought to market category-first, non invasive tests in both women’s health and in early cancer detection, used by millions today. Founded in 2018, Mirvie has raised more than $90 million in early-stage financing from top-tier investors, including Decheng Capital, Foresite Capital, General Catalyst, GV, Khosla Ventures, and Mayfield. Mirvie is based in South San Francisco, California. To learn more about Mirvie, please visit www.mirvie.com.
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 finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.
Kate Enos
Director of Media Relations
kate@mirvie.com
