Ohio Releases Hospitals’ 2008 C-Section Rates for Low-Risk First Births
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 9:16PM
The Ohio Department of Health has released hospital-by-hospital data on 2008 primary cesarean sections. 13,517 of the 49,879 low-risk, first time mothers in Ohio in 2008 gave birth by cesarean section for a state total of 27.1 percent.
Under the section Hospital Performance Measures Explanations and Information on the web site, the measure called “C-section for moms having their first baby with no complications” or “Cesarean Section (C-section) for Low-risk First Births” is explained as follows:
This score tells you the percent of babies delivered by C-section to moms having their first babies with no complications (i.e., babies was not breech, delivery was at full-term and mom was not having twins or multiples)
This information is important because c-section delivery is associated with an increased risk of postpartum (after delivery) maternal death when compared with vaginal delivery. Also, women who have C-sections are at an increased risk for fatal blood clots, infection, and complications of anesthesia. Some hospitals now have C-section rates over 50%. The goal should be to manage the fist delivery well, so it can result in a vaginal delivery and avoid repeat C-sections in future births. Research has found that many of these C-sections can be related to inducing labor and early admissions.
Lower percentages are better.
Total cesarean rates by hospital are not available on the Ohio Department of Health web site.
2008 Ohio C-section rates for moms having their first baby with no complications
|
(MONTGOMERY) |
06.69% |
88/1315 |
|
|
(GUERNSEY) |
11.82% |
24/203 |
|
|
(CLINTON) |
11.93% |
26/218 |
|
|
(GEAUGA) |
13.54% |
47/347 |
|
|
(FULTON) |
14.71% |
20/136 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
14.81% |
12//81 |
|
|
(BROWN) |
15.43% |
27/175 |
|
|
(FAYETTE) |
15.45% |
17/110 |
|
|
(HURON) |
15.55% |
44/283 |
|
|
(VAN WERT) |
16.16% |
16/99 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
16.67% |
41/246 |
|
|
(LICKING) |
16.79% |
66/393 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
17.43% |
53/304 |
|
|
(DARKE) |
17.92% |
19/106 |
|
|
(LORAIN) |
17.93% |
85/474 |
|
|
(SENECA) |
19.28% |
16/83 |
|
|
(STARK) |
19.60% |
89/454 |
|
|
(LOGAN) |
20.23% |
35/173 |
|
|
(STARK) |
20.25% |
32/158 |
|
|
(WAYNE) |
20.34% |
12//59 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
20.48% |
221/1079 |
|
|
(MARION) |
21.27% |
87/409 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
21.97% |
96/437 |
|
|
(HANCOCK) |
22.02% |
85/386 |
|
|
(GREENE) |
22.22% |
14/63 |
|
|
(PICKAWAY) |
22.22% |
36/162 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
22.31% |
139/623 |
|
|
(WOOD) |
22.60% |
33/146 |
|
|
(FAIRFIELD) |
22.75% |
81/356 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
23.27% |
47/202 |
|
|
(BUTLER) |
23.34% |
67/287 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
23.35% |
624/2672 |
|
|
(DELAWARE) |
23.38% |
36/154 |
|
|
(WILLIAMS) |
23.53% |
24/102 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
23.55% |
57/242 |
|
|
(AUGLAIZE) |
24.00% |
24/100 |
|
|
(SANDUSKY) |
24.04% |
25/104 |
|
|
(LAKE) |
24.25% |
105/433 |
|
|
(GALLIA) |
24.39% |
70/287 |
|
|
(RICHLAND) |
24.43% |
118/483 |
|
|
(TRUMBULL) |
24.50% |
61/249 |
|
|
(HOCKING) |
24.53% |
13/53 |
|
|
(WASHINGTON) |
24.61% |
63/256 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
24.78% |
142/573 |
|
|
(BUTLER) |
24.86% |
44/177 |
|
|
(LAKE) |
25.00% |
82/328 |
|
|
(ALLEN) |
25.49% |
26/102 |
|
|
(MONTGOMERY) |
25.62% |
208/812 |
|
|
(DEFIANCE) |
25.71% |
9//35 |
|
|
(HAMILTON) |
25.84% |
170/658 |
|
|
(BELMONT) |
25.99% |
46/177 |
|
|
(MUSKINGUM) |
25.99% |
323/1243 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
26.05% |
367/1409 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
26.26% |
224/853 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
26.49% |
89/336 |
|
|
(HIGHLAND) |
26.50% |
31/117 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
26.63% |
90/338 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
27.12% |
384/1416 |
|
|
(MEDINA) |
27.27% |
27/99 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
27.50% |
313/1138 |
|
|
(HAMILTON) |
27.63% |
389/1408 |
|
|
(SENECA) |
27.78% |
40/144 |
|
|
(SUMMIT) |
27.78% |
25/90 |
|
|
(TRUMBULL) |
28.03% |
111/396 |
|
|
(JEFFERSON) |
28.14% |
47/167 |
|
|
(PORTAGE) |
28.27% |
80/283 |
|
|
(SUMMIT) |
28.30% |
279/986 |
|
|
(CRAWFORD) |
28.35% |
36/127 |
|
|
(HAMILTON) |
28.48% |
647/2272 |
|
|
(STARK) |
28.53% |
196/687 |
|
|
(FRANKLIN) |
28.74% |
261/908 |
|
|
(HOLMES) |
28.77% |
42/146 |
|
|
(MONTGOMERY) |
29.13% |
127/436 |
|
|
(SUMMIT) |
29.36% |
64/218 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
29.39% |
139/473 |
|
|
(KNOX) |
29.65% |
51/172 |
|
|
(BUTLER) |
29.69% |
258/869 |
|
|
(COLUMBIANA) |
29.70% |
30/101 |
|
|
(CLARK) |
29.72% |
167/562 |
|
|
(ALLEN) |
29.88% |
193/646 |
|
|
(COSHOCTON) |
29.91% |
35/117 |
|
|
(UNION) |
30.23% |
78/258 |
|
|
(MONTGOMERY) |
30.35% |
224/738 |
|
|
(MADISON) |
30.39% |
31/102 |
|
|
(TUSCARAWAS) |
30.45% |
81/266 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
30.64% |
110/359 |
|
|
(WAYNE) |
30.65% |
118/385 |
|
|
(LORAIN) |
30.79% |
117/380 |
|
|
(DEFIANCE) |
31.14% |
71/228 |
|
|
(ERIE) |
31.25% |
80/256 |
|
|
(SHELBY) |
31.38% |
75/239 |
|
|
(HAMILTON) |
31.49% |
188/597 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
31.64% |
479/1514 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
32.59% |
73/224 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
32.62% |
471/1444 |
|
|
(ROSS) |
32.80% |
164/500 |
|
|
(MAHONING) |
33.02% |
107/324 |
|
|
(RICHLAND) |
33.33% |
16/48 |
|
|
(ATHENS) |
34.24% |
88/257 |
|
|
(MERCER) |
34.31% |
35/102 |
|
|
(ASHLAND) |
34.68% |
43/124 |
|
|
(COLUMBIANA) |
34.98% |
85/243 |
|
|
(SCIOTO) |
34.99% |
162/463 |
|
|
(WARREN) |
35.05% |
129/368 |
|
|
(SANDUSKY) |
35.06% |
54/154 |
|
|
(LUCAS) |
35.25% |
98/278 |
|
|
(HENRY) |
36.07% |
22/61 |
|
|
(SUMMIT) |
36.32% |
365/1005 |
|
|
(STARK) |
36.84% |
21/57 |
|
|
(ASHTABULA) |
36.87% |
73/198 |
|
|
(HAMILTON) |
36.98% |
436/1179 |
|
|
(CUYAHOGA) |
38.46% |
110/286 |
|
|
(MEDINA) |
38.82% |
125/322 |
|
|
(MIAMI) |
40.00% |
134/335 |
|
|
(MAHONING) |
40.53% |
244/602 |
|
|
(ALLEN) |
45.74% |
86/188 |
|
|
(WYANDOT) |
61.82% |
34/55 |
Reader Comments (13)
Well, hooray for the Ohio Department of Health! Transparency, education AND a little swipe at hospitals with outrageous c-section rates to watch themselves. Nice to see birth-related news that actually gives one hope for the future.
Interesting.
Hospital where I was born in 1974, still below 18%. I was totally natural.
Hosptial where my sister was born in 1978, just below 35%. She was induced by AROM, but nothing else, because doctor was going out of town and my mom was dilated 5 cm for like 2 weeks or something.
Neither of us were c/sec...but interesting the disparity.
as a Cleveland, Oh resident, i have to say it is nice to see this information being posted to the public. now what to do change these numbers?! have your babies @ home! :)
Anonymous,
It's always interesting to ask women who gave birth in the 70's and before about their experiences. My mom's doctor did x-rays for pelvimetric purposes because he wanted her to avoid a cesarean. My mom was induced at 43 weeks and I was 9#2. Everyone was fine. Times have changed.
Interesting! Nice to see some progress being made to separating the low- from the high-risk. I don't think you could do any better with vital statistics; still, the hospitals can very legitimately argue that there are many term, singleton, vertex pregnancies that are still high-risk and drive up their c-section rates.
Wyandot Memorial Hospital has only 3 OB beds and 6 bassinets. Do you think that has anything to do with their c-section numbers? I just saw a WV hospital that had 87% of deliveries as c-sections. Williamson Mem is also a small, rural hosp. Like Wyandot. Small, rural hospital. Probably only a few docs doing OB/GYN care. Few options for patients is what I am thinking.......
I noticed the high C/s rate at that last hospital, and wondered if it was a similar situation as that PA hospital -- it was a high-level pediatric hospital that only allowed births if the baby was known to be high-risk and/or needing immediate post-birth surgery or something like that. Anybody know?
That hospital is a small - 3 OB beds, 6 bassinets - rural hospital. Someone is scheduling births. Thats what that score means.
What's especially disconcerting is that this rate EXCLUDES breech, multiple, pre-term, and repeat cesareans. This means that the overall c-section rate for the state (and for many of the individual hospitals) must be OUTRAGEOUS.
For those that may not be familiar, Miami Valley has an attached birthing center. That's probably why their rates are so low.
Shameful Numbers! And if OBGYNS and the Medical Malpractice Insurance companies get their way, all of these women would be forced to have an automatic-repeat C-Section as well. This is why VBAC Advocacy is so important at this point, since it's becoming almost a fact of life that every woman is eventually going to have a scar on her uterus.
Thanks for posting these statistics Jill. I notice that each time you post these state Hospital Breakdowns, several people tend to immediately focus on the outlayers in the field (ie. Wayandot is small and rural and this explains their high number), and start making excuses to explain their extremely high or low numbers. I'm not sure if these folks understand that there will almost always be extremes at either end, but the place to focus is at the middle of "the bell curve".
High 20's percentages of surgical deliveries for Low-Risk women is totally unacceptable.
It does explain Wyandot's numbers. The doc's are scheduling the births. That's why the numbers are high. If you've ever lived in BFE, you'd understand. I didn't say it was a GOOD thing.
It helps to read the whole post. ;)
WOW... I knew it was bad, but the numbers are still sickening, So glad I decided to think for myself and trust my own instincts. But golly - what about women who are scared?
(FYI - I was HIGH RISK, but refused to be bullied... then proceeded to have a beautiful "textbook" labor and delivered when the doctor stepped out of the room. Yeah, I'm tricky like that :)
Thanks for posting the stats.