BUFFALO, N.Y (WKBW) — Kaleida Health is launching a new initiative to provide lifesaving measures to new moms in Western New York.
The new "Post-Birth Alert Orange Bracelet Program" is taking place at Oishei Children's Hospital and the Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
The program gives new moms an orange bracelet to wear up to 12 weeks after giving birth.
The goal is for the bracelet to serve as a visual reminder to doctors that the patient just gave birth in case she needs to have any emergency procedures.
The initiatve is crucial as Kaleida Health says women face a higher risk of serious complications, like preeclampsia, during the first 12 weeks of postpartum.
7 News spoke with the president of Oishei Children's Hospital who says women need to be cared for differently after giving birth and this program is one way of doing so.
"So when they get sick or are not feeling well after pregnancy and they go to the emergency room or urgent care, this will remind them that they were pregnant and that their symptoms may be related to pregnancy," Turkovich said. "That's important because those hypertension and infections like sepsis and heart problems need to be treated differently than someone who was not pregnant. So it's really important and we know that out of all those women who have died, almost 75% of them were preventable."
If you don't get an orange bracelet, Dr. Turkovich says it's important to speak up so you can get the right treatment.
