LAUSR

Key Points Question What are the rates of and risks for severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among birthing people with sickle cell disease (SCD), and what proportion of the increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes in SCD is associated with racial disparities encountered by Black patients? Findings In this cross-sectional study including 3901 deliveries among people with SCD, the maternal mortality rate for people with SCD was 26 times greater than in control deliveries of pregnant people with non-Black race and more than 10 times greater than deliveries among Black pregnant people. Compared with groups without SCD, deliveries among people with SCD had significantly higher odds of SMM, and racial disparities explained, on average, 28.9% of the increased risk in SCD deliveries. Meaning These results suggest that the risk for SMM is higher in deliveries among people with SCD than those of Black or non-Black control populations with no SCD; nearly one-third of the increased risk may be attributable to racial disparities.