A large study examining nearly one million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals has revealed that Black women receive unnecessary cesarean sections at significantly higher rates than white women with similar medical backgrounds. Even when Black and white mothers saw the same doctor at the same hospital, Black mothers were approximately 20 percent more likely to undergo C-section delivery.
The research, conducted by health economists including Janet Currie of Princeton University, found the disparity was most pronounced among healthy women with low risk factors. In this group, Black women were more than twice as likely to receive C-sections compared to their white counterparts.
The study uncovered a troubling pattern: additional operations on Black patients were more likely when hospitals had empty operating rooms with no scheduled surgeries. When operating rooms were already occupied, Black and white women had equal likelihood of C-section delivery. This suggests racial bias combined with financial incentives may influence medical decision-making, according to the researchers.
Ijeoma Okwandu, an obstetrician with Kaiser Permanente who has studied racial disparities in C-section rates, noted the research “followed the money,” pointing out that private insurers typically pay about $17,000 for cesarean deliveries versus $11,500 for vaginal births.
The unnecessary surgeries carry serious consequences. C-sections performed when operating rooms were otherwise empty led to more surgical complications, longer hospital stays, and lower breastfeeding success rates. Currie observed that doctors may hold certain beliefs about Black women and might not listen to them as attentively.
See: “Doctors Give Black Women Unneeded C-Sections to Fill Operating Rooms, Study Suggests” (September 10, 2024)
