Severe Maternal Morbidity after Delivery Discharge among U.S. Women, 2010-2014
- Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) includes a range of serious pregnancy complications that result in significant short-term or long-term consequences to a woman’s health.
- Most research and prevention efforts addressing SMM focus on the delivery hospitalization.
- Less is known about SMM diagnosed after delivery discharge.
A significant number of women have severe complications that start after they leave the hospital. One in seven SMM cases among commercially-insured women, and almost one in six SMM cases among Medicaid-insured women first developed after delivery discharge.
Commercially-insured
Medicaid-insured
Of SMM cases that were identified within the first six weeks (42 days) after delivery discharge, about three-quarters were identified in the first two weeks.
Commercially-insured
Medicaid-insured
Racial disparities in SMM after delivery discharge persist. Among deliveries insured by Medicaid, the odds of SMM among Black women are about 1.7 times more likely than White women.
Expanding the focus of SMM to those diagnosed after delivery discharge and continued monitoring of SMM may:
- improve our understanding of the burden and impact of SMM, and
- create new opportunities to improve maternity and postpartum care.