A recent study has revealed that Black women are significantly more likely to undergo unscheduled cesarean deliveries than white women, raising concerns about racial disparities in maternal care. The research, which analyzed nearly one million births across 68 hospitals in New Jersey, found that 21% of Black women with unscheduled deliveries had C-sections, compared to 17% of white women.
Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggest that the disparity may be driven more by provider preferences than medical necessity. “If Black mothers were truly better candidates for these unscheduled C-sections, we should see the gap persist, whether the operating rooms are busy or not,” said Adriana Corredor-Waldron, co-author of the study.
When researchers adjusted for medical risk factors and hospital characteristics, the gap narrowed. But it disappeared entirely when accounting for the availability of operating rooms—suggesting that scheduling practices, not patient health, may be influencing decisions.
Experts warn that implicit bias and perceived risk may be contributing factors. “We’re all reading the CDC reports about high infant mortality among Black infants,” Corredor-Waldron noted. “It might be that the physician thinks, ‘I don’t want any complications. So I’m just going to go ahead and do an emergency C-section.’”
With cesarean deliveries now accounting for one in three U.S. births—far exceeding WHO’s recommended rate—this study adds urgency to calls for more equitable and evidence-based maternal care.
See: “Study: Unscheduled C-Sections Higher Among Black Women” (October 15, 2024)
