Black Maternal Health Week runs through April 17th, and according to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of maternal death in Missouri and across the nation. Black women are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related heart complications.
Tiara Johnson, a St. Louis resident, was diagnosed ten years ago, at just 25, with peripartum cardiomyopathy or PPCM, a rare type of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within five months after giving birth. She says at the time, she was living in Michigan and was initially misdiagnosed before doctors confirmed PPCM.
"Every time it's like, 'Oh, it's normal, it's postpartum, it happens to moms.' And the other hospital - where I finally decided, 'I'm going somewhere else, I need a second opinion - and that's where they were able to detect that I was actively in full-blown congestive heart failure at this point," she explained.
Johnson received a heart transplant, but is still paying off the medical bills. She has a 'GoFundMe' page to help. PPCM can mimic pregnancy, so symptoms like fatigue, swelling, and being out of breath may signal serious heart trouble and require prompt medical attention. To stay healthy, doctors recommend regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding alcohol and smoking.
Risk factors for PPCM include maternal age over 35, high blood pressure, multiple pregnancies, and ethnicity, as the condition is more commonly seen in Black women. Johnson emphasized the importance of listening to your body and remembering that self-care isn't optional - it's essential.
"As part of the narrative, you know, as moms, we want to be 'super woman' and do all of the things. But we have to tend to ourselves. Because if we don't take care of ourselves first, we can't take care of our children, our spouses, or anyone else," she continued.
PPCM affects more than 1,000 women each year in the U.S., though experts say it may be underdiagnosed.
The Missouri Public News Service is a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
