"Serena Williams' Health Scare Prompts National Discussion" - Morgan Radford

Tennis superstar, Serena Williams, is speaking out about the harrowing post-delivery scare that almost killed her, sparking a discussion that she hopes will lead to change. Williams said she felt short of breath, and because of her history with blood clots, feared she was having a pulmonary embolism. She said it took some convincing to get the CT scan she asked for, but ultimately her suspicion was confirmed. The fact that someone like Williams faced such an ordeal struck a nerve. Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, professor of population health science and policy, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science, associate dean of academic development and director of the Women's Health Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, "Everyone has so much respect for her as an athlete, she has access to care, she has everything, and yet she still suffered one of these events during her delivery hospitalization. It really puts a face to this issue, and an incredibly important one." American women are more likely to die from childbirth than anywhere else in the developed world. 50,000 women suffer complications during pregnancy every year, and 700 die. The mortality rates for black women are three to four times higher. Some researchers add that poverty and discrimination could play a role in the gap, along with higher rates of chronic illness and obesity, and the quality of medical care many African American women have in their communities.

- Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, Professor, Population Health Science and Policy, Psychiatry, Schizophrenia, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Associate Dean, Academic Development, Director, Women's Health Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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