Objective: To examine the influence of socioeconomic, clinical, and hospital characteristics on the risk of severe maternal morbidity among postpartum readmissions.
Study design: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample 2006-2012 to estimate the risk of severe maternal morbidity and identify potential risk factors. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Women aged ≥35 years (ages 35-39: OR 1.12 [CI 1.06, 1.19]; ages 40+: OR 1.27 [CI 1.17, 1.39]), non-Hispanic blacks (OR 1.16 [CI 1.10, 1.22]), and women with pre-existing medical conditions (OR 1.62 [CI 1.56, 1.68]) were at greater risk of severe maternal morbidity during postpartum readmissions. Women hospitalized outside the Northeast region (Midwest: OR 1.20 [CI 1.10, 1.30]; South: OR 1.29 [CI 1.20, 1.38]; West: OR 1.33 [CI 1.22, 1.44]) were also at increased risk.
Conclusion: The risk of severe maternal morbidity is heightened beyond delivery hospitalization for a subset of high-risk women.