Preeclampsia rates in minority communities shed light on the social roots of maternal health disparities

Preeclampsia rates vary dramatically across the world, as well as in the United States. Svitlana Hulko/iStock via Getty Images Plus

In November 2020, Lupe was in the final weeks of her pregnancy when dark spots began distorting her vision. Lupe, a participant in a study on emotional distress and maternal health in El Paso, Texas, recounted her birth experience in a postpartum interview. (All participant names, Lupe’s included, are pseudonyms used to protect privacy.)

Feeling like something was not quite right, Lupe decided to go to the emergency room. Her blood pressure registered 167 over 98, a sharp contrast to her ideal reading of 115 over 70 documented in her medical chart at her first prenatal visit. Lupe was quickly diagnosed with preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that can cause high blood pressure and organ damage.