Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition resulting from a dysregulated immune response to infection during pregnancy, childbirth, or after abortion.1 Sepsis is responsible for an estimated 11% of maternal deaths globally.2 In the US, sepsis and infections were the third leading cause of maternal mortality in 2024.3 Given the high mortality associated with this condition,4 we examined risk factors for maternal sepsis. We hypothesized that sepsis is associated with severe outcomes among birthing mothers in Mississippi, a US state with the third highest maternal mortality rate.5