Hear Her: Urgent Warning Signs During and After Pregnancy

A prewritten article from CDC's Hear Her® campaign, offered to journalists, bloggers and other media to adapt, by Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, RADM USPHS (Ret.), director of CDC's Division of Reproductive Health.

Far too often, women in the United States die from complications related to pregnancy — and most of those deaths could be prevented. Recognizing the warning signs and getting the right diagnosis and treatment quickly can save lives.

The campaign

CDC launched Hear Her to raise awareness of potentially life-threatening warning signs during and after pregnancy. It asks partners, family, friends and providers to really listen when a pregnant or postpartum woman raises a concern — a simple, powerful act that can prevent serious complications and death.

Get medical care immediately for

• a severe headache that won't go away or gets worse;
• dizziness or fainting;
• thoughts about harming yourself or your baby;
• changes in your vision;
• a fever of 100.4°F or higher;
• extreme swelling of your hands or face;
• trouble breathing;
• chest pain or a fast-beating heart;
• severe nausea and vomiting (not like morning sickness);
• severe belly pain that doesn't go away;
• your baby's movement stopping or slowing during pregnancy;
• vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking during pregnancy;
• heavy vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid after pregnancy;
• swelling, redness or pain in your leg;
• overwhelming tiredness.

See the full list of urgent maternal warning signs and learn more on the Hear Her website.

Sources

Based on "Matte Article: Recognizing Urgent Pregnancy-Related Warning Signs," Hear Her, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.