Help Us Raise Awareness to Save Mothers and Birthing People

Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency defined as organ dysfunction resulting from infection during pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, miscarriage, or the postpartum period. Neonatal sepsis describes sepsis in an infant’s first 28 days of life.

Maternal Sepsis Week is an annual observance to raise awareness of the unique signs and symptoms of maternal and neonatal sepsis. We dedicate this week to sharing survivors’ personal experiences, remembering the loved ones lost to maternal sepsis, and remembering the young lives lost to neonatal sepsis.

Each year Maternal Sepsis Week is observed the week of Mother’s Day. In 2025, it will be held from May 11th to May 17th.

Join Sepsis Alliance in raising awareness of maternal sepsis to save mothers and birthing people. Keep reading to learn how.

Sepsis Alliance recognizes that not all birthing people identify as mothers. We are continuing to evaluate terminology to be inclusive of all experiences.

Learn more about sepsis with our article series this Maternal Sepsis Week! We’ll share a different article each day, so keep checking back.

• Sunday, May 12: Maternal Sepsis Week and Why it Matters
• Monday, May 13: Maternal Sepsis and Health Inequities
• Tuesday, May 14: Maternal Sepsis and Antimicrobial Resistance
• Wednesday, May 15: Maternal Sepsis and Neonatal Health: Shayla’s Story
• Thursday, May 16: Maternal Sepsis and Maternity Care Deserts
• Friday, May 17: Maternal Sepsis and Advocating for Yourself: How I am Preparing for Birth
• Saturday, May 18: Maternal Sepsis Week – What Next?

Amanda’s Story

Kayleigh’s Story

Maile’s Story

• Maternal sepsis causes at least 261,000 maternal deaths every year worldwide.
• A recent analysis of delivery hospitalizations and postpartum readmissions in the U.S. found that 23% of in-hospital deaths were related to sepsis.
• Black women are 3.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the U.S. Native American and Native Alaskan women are 2.5 times more likely to die than white women.
• The number of cases of maternal sepsis is increasing. One study of the National Inpatient Sample, a national database, reported a 10% annual increase in cases of maternal severe sepsis and sepsis-related deaths in the U.S. between 1998 and 2008.
• More than 50% of women who die from sepsis have one or more chronic co-occurring conditions, including chronic renal (kidney) disease, chronic liver disease, and congestive heart failure

*A complete list of references is included in this downloadable fact sheet.

LEARN MORE

You can help save moms by raising awareness of maternal sepsis. Click the boxes below to learn the different ways you can get involved

Spread the word – #MaternalSepsisWeek

Click on the below infographics to download and share them with your social media community. Remember to hashtag #MaternalSepsisWeek and tag @SepsisAlliance when you do.

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Sepsis Alliance launched Maternal Sepsis Day in 2019. In 2020, we expanded Maternal Sepsis Day into an entire week. Maternal Sepsis Week will be observed the week of Mother’s Day.