Between 2010 and 2022, a significant decline in hospital-based obstetric care in the US was observed, with more than half of rural hospitals and over one third of urban hospitals not offering obstetric services by 2022. A total of 537 hospitals lost obstetric services, with rural hospitals affected more than urban hospitals. The study, led by Katy B. Kozhimannil, highlighted the importance of access to obstetric care for maternal and infant health outcomes. The limitations of the study included the lack of data on births outside hospital settings and the decline in hospital closures affecting the denominator for the study outcome.
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Rural-Urban Gap Widens in Obstetric Care Access
