New study reports costs of preeclampsia to the U.S. healthcare system at $2.18 billion in first year

Preeclampsia Foundation Statement on AJOG Preeclampsia Report of Major Impact

Melbourne, FL – Eleni Tsigas, Executive Director of the Preeclampsia Foundation, released the following statement on the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG) report on the Short-term costs of preeclampsia to the United States healthcare system:

“In this report of major impact, the researchers have documented the short-term medical costs associated with preeclampsia. This aggregated incremental cost was found to be $2.18 billion to the U.S. healthcare system for the first 12 months after delivery – $1.03 billion in maternal healthcare costs and $1.15 billion for infants born to mothers with preeclampsia.

“Total short-term healthcare costs for preeclampsia pregnancies, in

cluding the usual costs associated with birth, were estimated to be $6.4 billion, summed across mothers and infants for all gestational ages in the US, so the burden of preeclampsia represents more than one-third of the total costs.

 “This is the first and most comprehensive economic analysis to estimate the annual cost burden of preeclampsia for both mothers and infants within the first 12 months after delivery. Quantifying the total cost of a health problem helps demonstrate the magnitude of a problem. Preeclampsia, in particular, has been under-recognized and under-researched relative to its prevalence as a leading cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.

“By underscoring the economic burden of preeclampsia, this report provides an important call-to-action for more research funding and awareness of this significant health problem, and a commitment to improving outcomes that focus on prevention, particularly for mothers.”

To read the full report, see AJOG’s Short-term costs of preeclampsia to the United States healthcare system, and editorial commentary, July 2017.

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