Hospitals don't always publicly disclose their C-section rates. Here's how we compiled our own data.

"The more we dug, the more we realized there was a gap between the procedure's public perception as a routine, normal part of giving birth and what experts were saying. We set out to figure out why. We also wanted to better understand the complexity involved in a procedure that can be life-saving and is also performed around double the rate the World Health Organization says is "ideal" for maternal and infant health."

"We interviewed more than 30 practicing and retired obstetricians, nurse midwives, and labor and delivery nurses. We spoke with more than 25 academics who study C-section rates and maternal health outcomes. Because hospitals don't always publicly disclose how frequently their doctors perform C-sections, we compiled our own data. We requested information from every state and Washington, DC. By the time of publication, we had answers from 29 states and DC. We compiled findings from over 1,700 hospitals."

Healthy People 2030 set national objectives to improve health outcomes, and midterm assessment shows rising low-risk cesarean-section rates. Experts call the trend a cesarean epidemic and warn of minimized recognition of long-term risks and public-health impacts for mothers. Cesarean delivery can be lifesaving, yet US rates run about double the World Health Organization's ideal for maternal and infant health. Researchers gathered primary data because hospitals often do not disclose C-section frequencies, obtaining responses from 29 states and Washington, DC and compiling results from over 1,700 hospitals. Clinicians face urgent decision-making needs alongside concerns about overuse and population-level harm.

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