Christina Perri, bipartisan lawmakers push to expand prenatal screening for Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Chart-topping singer Christina Perri stood with a bipartisan pair of lawmakers on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 9, 2025, to urge Congress to support a resolution calling for expanded prenatal screening for Antiphospholipid Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder linked to miscarriages, stillbirths and severe pregnancy complications.

The resolution, advanced publicly by Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida and Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California, asks that testing for APS be added to the suite of conditions screened routinely during prenatal blood draws. Supporters say earlier testing could identify a treatable cause of pregnancy loss and reduce the number of women who must endure multiple miscarriages before receiving a diagnosis.

"Far too many families have faced the unimaginable—losing a pregnancy, losing a child, and enduring complications that could have been prevented," Cammack said at the event. "In too many cases, the root cause is Antiphospholipid Syndrome, or APS… and here is the most frustrating part—it's treatable and it's preventable." She criticized current clinical practice that typically recommends APS testing only after multiple pregnancy losses, saying that standard forces families to endure avoidable harm.

Cammack, a new mother who said she is in her late 30s and experienced a prior rare ectopic pregnancy, described gaps in maternal care she said contributed to her not being tested earlier. "Imagine telling a mother that she must endure not just one but several miscarriages before doctors will test for a condition that we already know how to manage. That is simply unacceptable," she said.

Perri recounted her own losses and diagnosis as the impetus for her advocacy. She said she suffered a miscarriage in early 2020 and later learned she had APS after her daughter Rosie was stillborn at full term on Nov. 24, 2020. "At nine months pregnant, to the shock of all my doctors and family and friends, on November 24, 2020, my daughter Rosie's heart stopped and she was born silent. I birthed her, I held her, and I sang goodbye… it was the absolute worst experience I could have imagined," Perri told lawmakers and reporters.

After further testing, Perri said physicians identified APS as a likely cause of her stillbirth. She said the disorder is manageable and that, had she known earlier, medical treatment such as blood thinners might have prevented Rosie's death. "My moment of relief was overshadowed by my realization that this was preventable. If I had known I had APS, I would have taken blood thinners, and Rosie would be here," Perri said. She urged lawmakers to transform her personal loss into policy change: "Let's not get angry. Let's get inspired. This isn't about the past. This is about giving a purpose to my Rosie's life. It's about saving babies and helping families avoid the anguish that I experienced."

Advocates at the event framed the resolution as a bipartisan maternal-health initiative. "Protecting mothers and babies is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue—and we must do everything in our power to ensure women receive the prenatal care they deserve," Cammack said.

Current clinical guidance in many settings recommends screening for APS after recurrent pregnancy loss, according to lawmakers and advocates at the event. Proponents of the resolution contend that adding APS testing to routine prenatal bloodwork would allow earlier diagnosis and treatment in individual pregnancies, potentially reducing miscarriage, stillbirth and other complications tied to the disorder.

Lawmakers and patient advocates also cited examples of celebrity-driven advocacy that influenced Congress, pointing to other recent measures that gained attention after public campaigns. Passage of a measure titled the "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" in December 2024, they said, followed a high-profile push led by public figures and highlighted the potential impact of celebrity involvement in policy debates.

The resolution promoted on Capitol Hill is not itself a change to medical practice or federal screening requirements; it urges and encourages broader consideration of APS testing in prenatal care. Any change to standard prenatal screening panels would involve clinical guideline groups, professional medical societies and, in some cases, federal agencies that oversee laboratory and public-health recommendations.

Medical experts have long noted that APS is diagnosed through blood testing for specific antibodies and that treatment strategies for pregnant patients with APS can reduce certain risks. Supporters of expanded screening say making the test routine could lead to earlier intervention. Opponents or cautious observers, including some clinical organizations, have in other contexts warned that routine screening for low-prevalence disorders can produce false positives and lead to unnecessary treatment unless targeted to appropriate clinical groups; no such critiques were offered directly at Tuesday's event.

The resolution must still gain broader support in Congress to carry political weight, and any practical changes to prenatal screening practices would require consultation with medical experts and professional bodies. For now, Perri and lawmakers continue to press the case publicly, framing the measure as a step toward preventing loss and improving maternal-fetal health outcomes.

The event marked a continuation of efforts by families and advocates to spotlight maternal health gaps and prompt policy responses. Supporters said the measure aims to ensure that cases like Perri's are identified and managed earlier, potentially sparing other families comparable grief.

Key participants in Tuesday's event included Perri, Rep. Kat Cammack and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Organizers said they plan to pursue additional outreach to lawmakers, clinicians and advocacy groups to build momentum for the resolution and related policy changes.