Only 1 in 5 hospitals fully meet national performance targets for maternal care quality metrics, according to The Leapfrog Group's 2019 Maternity Care Report released May 29.
For the report, Leapfrog assessed hospitals on three maternal care areas: cesarean sections, early elective delivery and episiotomy rates. Leapfrog used 2018 survey data submitted by more than 2,000 hospitals nationwide for its analysis.
Three report findings:
1. In 2018, the average rate of early elective deliveries was 1.5 percent. When Leapfrog released its first maternity care report in 2010, this rate was 17 percent.
2. Episiotomy rates decreased from 7.8 percent in 2017 to 6.9 percent in 2018. This figure still sits above Leapfrog's target of 5 percent or under.
3. C-section births hovered at 26.1 percent in 2018, on par with the 26.3 percent rate seen a year prior and above Leapfrog's target of 23.9 percent.
To view the full report, click here.