Reports over the past few years have revealed that pregnant Black women in New Jersey face more severe complications during childbirth and have a higher mortality rate compared to mothers of other races.
A recent study adds to the evidence of a significant racial gap in maternal care, showing that Black mothers in New Jersey are undergoing unnecessary cesarean sections (C-sections) at a far higher rate than white women, even when treated by the same doctor in the same hospital.
The 71-page report, published last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyzed 1 million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals from 2008 to 2017. It found that Black mothers with unscheduled deliveries were 25% more likely to have an unscheduled C-section compared to white mothers.
The study also suggested that financial incentives played a role in these surgeries. Many of the unscheduled C-sections performed on Black women occurred only when no scheduled C-sections were taking place. According to the Health Care Cost Institute, the average cost of a C-section in 2020 was $17,103, compared to $11,453 for a vaginal delivery.
