Unscheduled C-Sections May Depend on the Color of Your Skin
Science Quickly
Deep Dive
Why are Black infants more likely to be delivered by C-section than white infants in New Jersey?
Black pregnant people are 20% more likely to get an unscheduled C-section than white pregnant people, even when controlling for factors like health status, hospital quality, and socioeconomic characteristics. The remaining 20% gap is driven by physician discretion.
Why is an increase in C-sections troubling from a maternal and fetal health perspective?
C-sections, especially among low-risk mothers, carry higher risks of complications and can affect future pregnancies, often necessitating additional C-sections.
What factors did the researchers control for in their study?
The study controlled for observable medical risk factors, hospital quality, and socioeconomic characteristics, using data from around 900,000 births in New Jersey from 2008 to 2017.
Why is the racial gap in C-section rates only present when the operating room is empty?
The gap suggests that physician decisions may be influenced by factors other than medical necessity, such as implicit bias or differences in communication styles.
What systemic changes could help make maternal healthcare more equitable?
Promoting diversity in the medical profession, ensuring mothers have advocates like doulas, and implementing value-based payments to reduce financial incentives for unnecessary surgeries are key systemic changes.
What future research is the team planning to conduct?
The team is considering studying other decisions around childbirth, such as inductions, to see if there are similar racial disparities and their health consequences.
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