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To combat rising maternal mortality, researchers at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute and UMKC are leading a first of its kind study to create better care for moms with heart conditions during pregnancy.

Dr. Adnan Chhatriwalla, interventional cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, talks about symptoms of heart valve disease, treatment, and keys to long-term heart health.

The four-year observational study will research U.S. pregnant people with cardiovascular disease to better understand and combat maternal mortality and morbidity.

In the past, many women born with a heart condition were told they would not be able to birth children safely.

What began as a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom turned into a nightmare—and then a miracle—for 83-year-old Chillicothe resident Shirley Eskew. After getting out of bed, Shirley slipped and fell. “I just hit the concrete hard,” she remembers. Things got blurry after that, but she did manage to call for help and get to the emergency room at Hedrick Medical Center.

Saint Luke’s dedication to research means more patients have alternatives to care—like Hilda Lankard and Agnes Lickteig.