A Blue Cross Blue Shield study indicates that pregnancy and childbirth complications have risen 32% as more millennial females have pre-existing conditions increasing the risks. Senior Medical Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana Dr. Dee Barfield said claims data from 2014 to 2018 shows the increase in complications.
“We do find that people who have pregnancy complications are twice as likely to have childbirth complications, so that’s why this is important from both angles,” said Barfield.
Barfield stresses the importance of prenatal visits; she said their study is from women who have access to care due to coverage and they are not seeking medical care early enough in their pregnancy.
“A lot of women, I think don’t realize the importance of going the moment you think you could be pregnant because there are a lot of things that the doctor can find that they can mitigate and you won’t’ have these complications,” said Barfield.
The study also indicates the average age to have a child increased to 31. Barfield said the older you are the more likely you are to already have a chronic condition before pregnancy.
“It’s an unfortunate statistic, but we not only live in Louisiana, but we live in the United States and we have more high blood pressure, more diabetes and more obesity than most of the other developed countries,” said Barfield.
Barfield said they worry that more pregnant women have avoided medical care and prenatal visits due to the pandemic and we’ll see more pregnancy and childbirth complications in the near future.
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