Understanding the Risks of Pregnancy-Related Sepsis

With intricate reproductive care policies and laws being enacted in recent years, pregnancy-related sepsis remains a leading cause of reproductive fatality in the United States. Reproductive care is limited due to new healthcare policies and medical negligence in the United States. Here’s an insight into the epidemiology behind pregnancy-related sepsis. 

What is Maternal Sepsis?

Maternal sepsis, according to the World Health Organization, refers to sepsis resulting from infection during pregnancy, labor, childbirth, postpartum period, or post abortion procedures. Recent healthcare analytics study showed that nearly 23% of all maternal deaths in the United States are related to sepsis. Maternal sepsis accounts for severe bacterial infection of the uterus, where as the infection spreads within the bloodstream, the body attacks its tissues and organs, which can lead to organ failure, tissue damage, and morbidity.

Causes of Maternal Sepsis and Understanding the Risks:

In most cases of maternal sepsis, the leading cause behind the infection results from non-sterile abortions and C-sections where any incisions or tears come in contact with bacteria and nonsterile equipment. Other prevalent causes of maternal sepsis include mastitis, miscarriage, premature delivery, membrane rupture due to prolonged or obstructed labor, stillbirth, multiple births, and urinary tract infections. In addition to these critical issues, minor inconveniences such as having a long labor period where the water breaks 18 hours before delivery and using forceps or other invasive tools during delivery can exponentially increase the chances of developing sepsis afterward. 

Alongside the causes of maternal sepsis, the risk factors add additional leverage to the morbidity of this infection. The risk of infection and sepsis increases as underlying factors such as being younger than 20 years old at the time of the birth, being of Hispanic, Black, and Asian descent, being pregnant with multiples, having diabetes or other chronic illnesses, or having conceived through in vitro fertilization are present. With high prevalence, causes, and risk factors, access to proper reproductive care is crucial in the prevention and treatment of such complications during and after pregnancy or for any surgical aborting procedures. Assessing prognosis during the onset of initial symptoms and during the time of diagnosis is crucial in preventing and treating sepsis while weighing in the likelihood of mortality. 

Symptoms and Treatments:

Although diagnosing maternal sepsis is difficult due to the small timeframe its treatable, medical professionals will most likely rule out symptoms such as fever, disorientation, tachycardia, abnormal vaginal discharge, edema, low blood pressure, and hypoglycemia. Healthcare providers prioritize early detection and treatment. As for maternal sepsis treatment, various forms of medication and procedures are utilized to treat and reverse the effects and symptoms of sepsis. In common modern-day practices, antibiotics are used to treat the bacteria causing the infection, vasopressors and IV fluids are used to increase blood pressure, and in severe cases, surgery is performed to remove damaged tissue. In addition to available treatment options, prevention protocols and practices are the most important factors in ensuring that the risk of sepsis can be lowered by ensuring access to adequate healthcare practices and clean delivery facilities with sterile equipment during such procedures. 

Takeaways in the Current Healthcare Regime:

The vast majority of the medical facilities in the United States serve to provide patients with adequate reproductive care, ensure cost-effective healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, and ensure all personal and legal information is secured under HIPAA. Although the service to provide legal and adequate treatment options for sepsis and other forms of reproductive care is initiated under the recent incongruous governmental policies regarding female reproductive care, access to sufficient and dire medical procedures such as abortion will be restricted and completely prohibited in a vast number of states. Due to the unmet requirement of such medical procedures, the number of maternal sepsis incidents has skyrocketed to an all-time high. In nearly 20 states in the U.S, the current access to medical abortion is completely banned or strictly restricted. This accounts for heightened instances of sepsis due to not receiving proper medical treatment for complications and unforeseen medical circumstances. 

Lastly, as the new healthcare initiative for reproductive health, regulation, and treatment are implemented in the United States, healthcare professionals are adamant about providing ongoing support to persons of all backgrounds to allow for no malpractice and meet dire medical needs safely.

Written By: Sarosh Momin, B.S Neuroscience

Edited by: Libby-Ann Harpaul-Sahadeo

References

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2. Presser,Andrea L. Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. ProPublica. Published February 20, 2025. https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-maternal-mortality-analysis

3. Center. Recommendations Reduce Risk of Transmission of Disease Agents Sepsis. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Published 2025. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/recommendations-reduce-risk-transmission-disease-agents-associated-sepsis-human-cells-tissues-and

4. Shields A, Plante LA, Pacheco LD, Louis J. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Consult Series #67: Maternal sepsis. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023;229(3):B2-B19. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.05.019

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