Each year, about 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States. One of the leading causes of maternal death is preeclampsia, a type of hypertension that develops midway through pregnancy. If left untreated, the condition can be fatal to both mother and baby.

Symptoms include high blood pressure, headaches, swelling in the hands and face, blurred vision, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. There may even be no symptoms. Serious complications include preterm birth, liver and kidney damage, and even seizures. The disease can progress quickly, so early detection is crucial. 

In a soon-to-be-published study, Professor Anita Raja (GC / Hunter, Computer Science) and a team of researchers report on the use of artificial intelligence to predict severe preeclampsia in first-time mothers. The project is funded by the National Institutes of Health, which named the project a winner of its Decoding Maternal Morbidity Challenge in February. 

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