A retrospective study of Mississippi hospital births from 2016 to 2025 found that maternal sepsis was diagnosed in only 197 of 320,179 live births, yet it was tied to 32.4% of delivery-associated hospital deaths. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, highlight sepsis as a rare but highly lethal complication in a state with one of the nation's highest maternal mortality rates.
Mothers with sepsis were more likely to have chronic conditions such as hypertension, obesity, or diabetes, and to experience preterm birth or C-section delivery. Black mothers and Medicaid enrollees also had higher sepsis rates. Among the 197 women with sepsis, 11 died, a case fatality rate of 5.6%.
Sepsis also carried severe clinical and financial consequences: one in three affected mothers developed respiratory distress syndrome, and average hospital charges reached about $134,844 compared with $22,876 for non-sepsis deliveries. Researchers called for a statewide prevention plan focused on identifying high-risk patients and treating infections promptly, while also emphasizing the need to reduce chronic disease among reproductive-age women.