11/01/2026
Lessons from History - U.S. Birth Location
1900: Only ~5% of births occurred in hospitals.
1935: Hospital births reached ~37%.
1940: 56% took place in a hospital.
1950: The number soared to 88%.
1960: Hospital deliveries became near-universal at over 96%.
2025: ~98.5% of all births occur in a hospital
By the early 2000s, the U.S. officially fell to the bottom ranking for maternal mortality among peer high-income countries including Canada, the UK, Australia, France, and Japan.
The overall ratio of urban to rural births is approximately 86.5% urban to 13.5% rural. Due to escalating rates of ongoing rural hospital OB unit closures, a high percentage of rural residents deliver in hospitals outside their home county, EVEN THOUGH the birth is recorded based on the mother's county of residence. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db571.htm #:~:text=2025.%203%2C612%2C012*%2053.2*%20*%20Significant%20decrease%20from,National%20Vital%20Statistics%20System%2C%20natality%20data%20file.
WHEN data collection aligns with reality we may begin to better understand the impact of rural hospital closures and timely access to care. Until then, much of what we read is at best an illusory guess.
So I’ll end with this — if policy makers, hospital boards, and others that control $$ believe care is BEST provided in hospital, yet not willing to provide needed care for all regardless of zip code, what does that mean about how we value families? All other high income countries provide universal access with clearly designed regional models, delivered by diverse healthcare professionals, and have for DECADES. Yet the most industrialized nation in the world refuses to take immediate NATIONAL action of nearly 14% of our population. Nowhere are the data more alarming than the Southern Poverty Block. Our current action: give monies to state plans implementing band-aid solutions over evidence-based strategies.
