Black Moms In New Jersey Are Receiving Unneeded C-Sections

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 15, 2024

The study found that Black women were more likely to undergo a c-section than their white counterparts.

A new study has revealed that doctors in New Jersey are performing unnecessary C-sections on expecting Black mothers.

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shared their findings in August. It investigated data of almost 1 million births in the state from 2008 to 2017. They looked closely at the cesarean sections performed, which delivers babies through surgical incisions made in the abdomen and uterus. They found that Black women were more likely to undergo the surgery than their white counterparts.

“Black mothers with unscheduled deliveries are 25 percent more likely to deliver by C-section than non-Hispanic white mothers,” detailed the study. “The gap is highest for mothers with the lowest risk and is reduced by only four percentage points when controlling for observed medical risk factors, sociodemographic characteristics, hospital, and doctor or medical practice group.”

While C-sections are a commonly used birthing alternative, the procedure does hold its own risks. Unplanned surgeries typically have a higher risk of infection, bleeding, and injury to the baby. Moreover, the NBER found the difference “remarkably” reduced if higher costs of the unexpected procedure is a factor.

The study added, “Remarkably, the gap disappears when the costs of ordering an unscheduled C-section are higher due to the unscheduled delivery occurring at the same time as a scheduled C-section.”

The findings are not surprising to many in the state. According to Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security, New Jersey has the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate in the country. Black women residents are also four times more likely to die during childbirth than white woman.

“The driving force behind these disparities is clear: systemic racism. Medical racism has long been embedded within the health care system, resulting in the undervaluing of Black women’s lives, health, and autonomy,” wrote Nastassia Harris, the founder of the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative, to Patch. ” From mismanagement during labor to the overuse of surgical interventions like C-sections, Black women’s bodies are too often treated as if they don’t matter.”

The study furthered confirmed that Black women faced harsher treatment by medical providers, especially in pregnancy. However, it also fueled the ongoing fight against medical racism in the state. Despite this, initiatives for Black mothers to know that other support and advocacy is available continues throughout the state.

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