Black women are more likely to undergo unnecessary C-sections, research from New Jersey shows
Obstetricians are more likely to perform unnecessary operations on pregnant Black women, according to a large new study of hospital deliveries in New Jersey.
Black women are more likely than White women to get unnecessary cesarean sections, putting them at higher risk for serious complications, according to one of the largest studies of its kind.
"Black women ... are being treated different based on factors like race," said Adriana Corridor Waldron, research professor at NC State University.
Waldron is one of the lead researchers of the new report that evaluated nearly 1 million births in 68 hospitals in New Jersey.
It says even if a Black and White mother with similar medical histories saw the same doctor at the same hospital, the Black mother was about 25% more likely to have a C-section.
"So this is not explained by medical risk factors, it's not explained by socioeconomic or things related with the socioeconomic status, but based on their race," Waldron said.
The report points to bias and says financial incentives might also be involved since C-sections are more expensive — with higher payouts to doctors and hospitals.
"It's important that we are aware of these biases and start working, potentially, to start addressing this provider bias," Waldron said.
The research didn't offer advice but doctors say Black women should review delivery options with the obstetrician before giving birth.
Statement from The First Lady of New Jersey
New Jersey's First Lady, Tammy Murphy, released a statement Thursday in response to the study. The study examined nearly one million births spanning 68 hospitals across the state between 2008 and 2017.
Murphy's statement highlights the progress New Jersey's Nurture NJ initiative has made in combating high maternal mortality rates and racial disparities in childbirth.
"The findings in this study are wholly unacceptable and deeply disturbing, underscoring how vital the work of Nurture NJ has been over the past nearly seven years. We have long known that Black mothers are more likely to undergo unscheduled C-sections compared to White mothers, but this study confirms the historical, large-scale statistical racial disparities in delivery methods, without a correlation to medical risk. This research is critical to supporting the ongoing development of new initiatives that will continue to make a difference for families in New Jersey. We are thankful to the researchers for shining a light on the disparities we are working to eliminate. Racial biases and financial incentives should never drive medical decision-making."