Preeclampsia in African America Women

Background: Every year in the U.S., there are 700 pregnancy related deaths that occur, with ⅔ of those deaths being preventable. African American women are 3-4% more likely to die of pregnancy related complications, mainly preeclampsia, than any other population. Preeclampsia is related to cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, which Black women are more at risk for. Objective: This systematic review will explore how preventative techniques such as the use of diuretics and physical activity during pregnancy will decrease the risk for preeclampsia in African American women compared to untreated preeclampsia complications that affect mortality rates upon delivery. Method: Search of the bibliographic databases EBSCOHost, Proquest, and CINAHL were used to identify studies published in the last five years to identify eligible studies. Data were analyzed from the 36 studies. Results: Results yield the conclusion that combined exercise, diuretics, along with prenatal care are preeclampsia prevention techniques that decrease mortality rates among African American women upon delivery when compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: Overall, we are exploring how these preventative techniques are shown to be effective in decreasing maternal mortality rates in African American women individually or as a combination therapy in comparison to those who do not. Keywords: african american pregnant women, preeclampsia, high blood pressure, diuretics, exercise, physical activit