Cesarean Delivery Rates Vary Tenfold among U.S. Hospitals; Reducing Variation May Address Quality and Cost Issues

Cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States, and cesarean rates are increasing. Cesarean rates varied tenfold across hospitals, from 7.1 percent to 69.9 percent. Even for women with lower-risk pregnancies, in which more limited variation might be expected, cesarean rates varied fifteenfold, from 2.4 percent to 36.5 percent.