Preeclampsia Awareness Month
WHEREAS, preeclampsia, including HELLP syndrome and eclampsia, is a dangerous condition of pregnancy that can, in its severest form, lead to maternal and/or infant mortality or premature birth with significant health risks for the mother and baby; and
WHEREAS, as many as 320,000 cases of preeclampsia are diagnosed in the United States each year with approximately 25 percent resulting in severe, life-threatening consequences to a pregnant woman and her baby; and
WHEREAS, public education as to the signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and eclampsia can help women recognize the condition and seek appropriate medical care; and
WHEREAS, prenatal education should include recognition of those signs and symptoms: spikes in maternal blood pressure, sudden swelling of face and hands, severe upper abdominal pain, blurred vision, persistent headaches, breathlessness; and
WHEREAS, citizens across Alabama have partnered with the Preeclampsia Foundation to raise public awareness in order to minimize maternal and infant illness and death due to preeclampsia:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2013, as
Preeclampsia Awareness Month
in the state of Alabama.
Provided by the Office of the Governor of Alabama | governor.alabama.gov