Racial Disparities in the Rate of Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Virginia: An interrupted time series Analysis

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) continues to rise in the United States but the rates vary by states, ranging low as 52.5 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations in South Dakota (and high as 111.3 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations in Rhode Island (1); in Virginia (VA) as of 2020, the rate of SMM was 68 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations, which did not increase drastically in the year prior. SMM is a contributor to maternal mortality, from a health equity standpoint, these alarming rates require further research to be done to decrease the gap in maternal morbidity and mortality. This analysis aims to look at these alarming rates before and during the pandemic, in order to make the appropriate recommendations for the future regarding maternal and child health.