C-section rates vary widely by hospital, but transparency is rare. A map shows the states that withhold data.

"Roughly one in 10 pregnant women in the US undergoes a cesarean section that experts say could have been avoided. One of the strongest predictors of her risk of a medically unnecessary C-section isn't her age, health, or pregnancy complications - it's the C-section rate at the hospital where she delivers. One of the best ways to avert an unnecessary C-section is to choose a hospital with low rates for the procedure, experts say."

"Business Insider requested C-section data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. An analysis of the first 21 to produce data reveals some hospitals performed surgeries on fewer than 5% of women with low-risk pregnancies - those who are least likely to require surgery to safely deliver their babies since they are pregnant for the first time, are at full term, are not delivering twins, and whose babies are head-down rather than breech."

"Only 11 states make hospital C-section rates easily accessible on public websites, Business Insider found. Most states either say hospital C-section rates are confidential or release data only in response to formal public records or data requests. Some hospitals voluntarily disclose their C-section rates in response to annual consumer surveys; many do not. What results is a patchwork of disclosures that can hide significant C-section rate swings across nearby hospitals."

Approximately one in ten pregnant women in the US undergoes a cesarean that could have been avoided. Hospital-level C-section rates are among the strongest predictors of medically unnecessary C-sections. Choosing a hospital with low C-section rates reduces the likelihood of an unnecessary surgical delivery. Only 11 states make hospital C-section rates easily accessible online; most states treat those rates as confidential or require formal requests. The resulting patchwork of disclosures masks wide variation: some hospitals perform C-sections on under 5% of low-risk births while others perform them around 50%. Limited public reporting benefits certain hospitals and deprives patients of critical information.

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