Birth centers safely reduce cesarean births. 

Healthy People 2030 Goal #6 aims to “reduce cesarean births among low-risk women with no prior births.”  This goal reflects the exceptionally high cesarean rate in the US, which has continued to rise with no increase in positive clinical outcomes. Currently, nearly one in three births in the US are C-sections, well above the 10-15% rate that the World Health Organization considers “ideal”. The national C-section delivery rate increased in 2023 to 32.4%, up from 32.1% in 2022, according to provisional CDC numbers. 

By contrast,  the average C-section rate for birth center birth is 6.1%.  The reason for this low rate, according to Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy,  Professor of Midwifery at the Yale University School of Nursing and former director of the American College of Nurse-Midwives,  is that “Midwives, who attended more than 335,000 births in 2010, work collaboratively with a range of health care professionals, such as obstetricians and other physicians, to provide comprehensive care for women, resulting in safe, quality care. Their work as a team with pregnant women and their families ensures a personalized and nurturing birth center experience.”