Project Grant R21HD122202

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded Trustees of Boston University $326,201 on September 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to validate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–developed Severe Maternal Morbidity algorithm for identifying maternal near-miss cases in the obstetric population at Boston Medical Center, New England's largest safety-net hospital.

The project addresses the urgent need for clinical and policy-level responses to rising maternal mortality in the United States despite the highest health care expenditure among wealthy nations. Researchers will evaluate whether the CDC-developed algorithm has adequate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value as a proxy for maternal near-miss events, and will compare demographic, socioeconomic, and health history risk factors associated with severe maternal morbidity versus maternal near-miss. Despite widespread adoption of the CDC algorithm, rigorous validation studies remain absent. The specific aims are to evaluate the validity of severe maternal morbidity as a proxy for maternal near-miss and to compare associated risk factors across subgroups.

Work is performed in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. Boston University Medical Campus, a child entity of the larger Boston University structure, receives the award as a recipient organization with established federal research capabilities across NIH and other health agencies.