Seems logical, right? If a hospital has a Level III NICU and takes in the high risk pregnancies and deliveries, they probably have a higher cesarean rate because high risk women can often only birth safely via cesarean. Right? Indeed, many hospitals do use that as an excuse for their high cesarean rate, thus making low risk women feel they have no cause for concern. Does that excuse hold weight.
Let's look at the NJ hopsitals based on NICU (Level III NICU being the highest level which handles the sickest babies and most high risk births; LEVEL II NICU typically capable of handling preemies beyond 32 weeks and Level I NICUs which are basic nurseries.
LEVEL III NICUS - perinatal centers
| TOTAL BIRTHS | all cesarean births | % c-section | |
| ST BARNABAS ME | 5808 | 2862 | 49.3 |
| HACKENSACK UNI | 6165 | 3022 | 49.0 |
| THE VALLEY HOS | 3436 | 1611 | 46.9 |
| VIRTUA-WEST JE | 5282 | 2324 | 44.0 |
| JERSEY SHORE U | 1744 | 757 | 43.4 |
| JERSEY CITY ME | 1530 | 664 | 43.4 |
| OVERLOOK HOSPI | 2476 | 1056 | 42.6 |
| MORRISTOWN MEM | 4043 | 1676 | 41.5 |
| ST. JOSEPH'S R | 3738 | 1525 | 40.8 |
| ST PETERS UNIV | 6351 | 2561 | 40.3 |
| KENNEDY MEMORI | 1517 | 605 | 39.9 |
| UMDNJ/UNIVERSI | 1955 | 767 | 39.2 |
| NEWARK BETH IS | 3818 | 1451 | 38.0 |
| ROBERT WOOD JO | 3591 | 1303 | 36.3 |
| OUR LADY OF LO | 1327 | 468 | 35.3 |
| CAPITAL HEALTH | 2458 | 814 | 33.1 |
| ENGLEWOOD HOSP | 2168 | 676 | 31.2 |
| COOPER HOSPITA | 2368 | 704 | 29.7 |
| MONMOUTH MEDIC | 4160 | 1108 | 26.6 |
| 63935 | 25954 | 40.6 |
LEVEL II NICUS
| TOTAL BIRTHS | all cesarean births | % c-section | |
| SAINT JAMES HO | 82 | 50 | 61.0 |
| MEADOWLANDS HO | 810 | 459 | 56.7 |
| CENTRASTATE ME | 1876 | 913 | 48.7 |
| COMMUNITY MEDI | 1441 | 652 | 45.2 |
| RIVERVIEW MEDI | 1465 | 662 | 45.2 |
| HOBOKEN UNIVER | 1526 | 662 | 43.4 |
| HOLY NAME HOSP | 1343 | 581 | 43.3 |
| VIRTUA-MEMORIA | 2162 | 928 | 42.9 |
| HUNTERDON MEDI | 1235 | 522 | 42.3 |
| SAINT CLARE'S | 1662 | 688 | 41.4 |
| SOMERSET MEDIC | 1339 | 540 | 40.3 |
| CLARA MAASS ME | 1818 | 728 | 40.0 |
| THE MOUNTAINSI | 728 | 290 | 39.8 |
| SHORE MEMORIAL | 1357 | 540 | 39.8 |
| LOURDES MEDICA | 885 | 343 | 38.8 |
| ATLANTICARE RE | 2455 | 938 | 38.2 |
| ST MARYS HOSPI | 1201 | 442 | 36.8 |
| CHILTON MEMORI | 1006 | 369 | 36.7 |
| JFK MEDICAL CE | 2823 | 1007 | 35.7 |
| TRINITAS HOSPI | 2219 | 736 | 33.2 |
| NEWTON MEMORIA | 703 | 230 | 32.7 |
| RARITAN BAY ME | 1076 | 351 | 32.6 |
| COLUMBUS HOSPI | 194 | 63 | 32.5 |
| UNDERWOOD MEMO | 1030 | 321 | 31.2 |
| SOUTH JERSEY H | 2548 | 772 | 30.3 |
| UNIVERSITY MED | 2020 | 612 | 30.3 |
| PALISADES MEDI | 1463 | 437 | 29.9 |
| OCEAN MEDICAL | 1044 | 311 | 29.8 |
| MUHLENBERG REG | 476 | 122 | 25.6 |
| KIMBALL MEDICA | 1844 | 438 | 23.8 |
| 41831 | 15707 | 37.5 |
LEVEL I NICUS - basic nursery
| TOTAL BIRTHS | all cesarean births | % c-section | |
| CHRIST HOSPITA | 1221 | 582 | 47.7 |
| WARREN HOSPITA | 147 | 54 | 36.7 |
| MEMORIAL HOSP | 377 | 135 | 35.8 |
| CAPE REGIONAL | 517 | 184 | 35.6 |
| SOUTHERN OCEAN | 342 | 118 | 34.5 |
| HACKETTSTOWN R | 885 | 287 | 32.4 |
| 3489 | 1360 | 39.0 |
So, let's summarize.
The average c-section rate in NJ hosptials with a LEVEL III NICU is 40.6% with a range of 26.6% - 49.3%
The average c-section rate in NJ hospitals with a LEVEL II NICU is 37.5% with a range of 23.8-61.0%.
The average c-section rate in NJ hospitals with a LEVEL I NICU is 39.0% with a range of 32.4-47.7%.
How odd because those LEVEL I NICU hospitals in NJ have banned VBAC since they are not equipped to do emergency c-sections. Are all those c-sections planned? Are they being done at 4pm so the doctor and anesthesiologists can get home for dinner? What is truly going on? How odd that when you look at the rantes, there are LEVEL III NICU hospitals where you are more likely to avoid an unncessary c-section than most of our LEVEL I NICU hospitals.
