According to the 2025 Maternity Care Report published by Leapfrog, there persists a national concern over high cesarean section rates, despite progressive strides in refining other facets of maternity care. The report, based on voluntarily submitted data from over 1,700 hospitals, represents approximately 80% of inpatient beds. These statistics form the benchmark for the 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Survey.
The current C-section rates for low-risk first-time mothers initially exhibited a decline in 2020, however due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress has stalled and the rates have taken a turn for the worse. The recent numbers from 2024 showed the national average rate for C-sections to be 25.3%, exceeding Leapfrog’s national benchmark, a goal that has remained unachieved since the patient safety group began public record of this metric in 2015.
As part of the report’s findings, it is notable that ‘episiotomy rates’ have seen a decline, a trend that Leapfrog’s president and CEO, Leah Binder, applauded in a press release as these efforts have had positive outcomes for thousands of women and their babies. However, she also cautioned the need for continued work in lowering C-section rates in a collective effort to enhance maternity care universally.
Healthcare institutions nationwide are grappling with the ongoing issue of improving care quality, whilst navigating a landscape of ever-increasing regulatory pressures and requirements. The pathway to evolved and efficient healthcare delivery is a complex juggling act, necessitating a balancing of roles, streamlining leadership and navigating continuous structural changes in the health system’s C-suite.
Source: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/progress-in-lowering-c-section-rates-lags-leapfrog/