Doctors more likely to perform unnecessary C-sections on Black mothers, study says

BOSTON – A new report uncovered a disturbing racial disparity when it comes to C-sections, with doctors being more likely to perform them on Black mothers.

In a large study of nearly 1 million births at 68 hospitals in New Jersey, researchers found that obstetricians are more likely to perform unnecessary C-sections on Black mothers than white mothers. In fact, Black women, overall, were about 25% more likely to deliver by C-section.

According to the New York Times, some experts speculate that doctors may rush Black women to C-sections due to concerns about racial bias, or that Black women may be less likely to advocate for themselves, or if they do express concerns, they may be taken less seriously. The study also discovered that additional operations on Black patients were more likely to occur when operating rooms were unoccupied or sitting empty, suggesting there may be a financial incentive for hospitals to fill their ORs.

Unnecessary C-sections put women at risk of unnecessary complications such as bleeding, infection, blood clots, and organ damage. 

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.