“These results paint a clear picture of the lack of resources, education and training that cardiologists, fellows, and their care teamsNatalie Bellow, MD, MPH Natalie Bellow, MD, MPH receive in the field of cardio-obstetrics,” said Natalie Bello, MD, MPH, director of Hypertension Research in the Smidt Heart Institute and lead author of the JAHA study. “With rates of pregnancy-related cardiovascular disease on the rise, now is the time to expedite better, and broader, training in the field.”

“Pregnancy is a stress test for the body,” said Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai and a nationally known maternal fetal medicine specialist. “For some women, this stress test leads to sudden cardiovascular complications like preeclampsia, or health issues that arise over time—even decades after pregnancy and delivery.”