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CME Credit Offered
CME Credit Offered
Abstract Award
Abstract Award
Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
AIUM Credit
AIUM Credit
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Foundation Awardee
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Abstract Award
Abstract Award
Foundation Awardee
Foundation Awardee

Poster Session 4

Category: Health Equity/Community Health

Poster Session 4

(1043) Maternal Vulnerability Index as a predictor of Severe Maternal Morbidity in Louisiana

Thursday, February 12, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM  
Objective:
Neighborhood characteristics, captured in indices such as the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) that evaluate a range of census-level socioeconomic (SES) characteristics, have been associated with various adverse health outcomes. The Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI) is a novel index that incorporates access to reproductive healthcare with SES. We aim to evaluate MVI and ADI as predictors of Centers for Disease Control-defined Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM).

Study Design:
This is a retrospective cohort study including those receiving prenatal and delivery care in a large Louisiana health system from March 2018 to April 2023. Home address at admission was linked to a census block, which were then linked to national centile for both MVI and ADI. The primary outcome was any recorded non-transfusion SMM. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine the predictive value of each index, both as continuous and binary predictors (analyzed as high vulnerability/deprivation vs not with cutoffs at 75th percentile).

Results:
There were 61,901 deliveries identified, with 35% residing in high deprivation neighborhoods (table). There were 993 (1.6%) diagnosed with non-transfusion SMM. Increasing ADI (OR 1.009, CI 1.006-1.012, p< 0.001) and MVI (OR 1.008, CI 1.005-1.007, p< 0.001) were both associated with the development of SMM, representing an increase of 0.8 to 0.9% in odds for SMM with each 1.0% increase in neighborhood deprivation. Living in a high MVI neighborhood was associated with 37% increased odds of SMM (OR 1.37, CI 1.21-1.56), compared to a 32% increase associated with living in a high ADI neighborhood (OR 1.32, CI 1.16-1.50). Neither AUC demonstrated strong discriminatory value, though MVI was statistically better than ADI (figure).

Conclusion:
High MVI is associated with increased odds for non-transfusion SMM, potentially informing neighborhood characteristics that can lead to maternal morbidity, including access to reproductive health care.