Key findings:
* Between 2010 and 2024, 718 hospitals across the U.S. lost obstetric services due to obstetric unit and/or hospital closure; 67 (9%) of these losses occurred between 2023 and 2024 (25 in rural and 42 in urban hospitals).
* Loss of obstetric services disproportionately impact rural areas. Between 2010 and 2024, 14% of hospitals (16% of rural hospitals, 13% of urban hospitals) lost obstetric services, while 35% (42% rural, 30% urban) never had obstetric services during this period.
* Almost 36,000 births occurred in 2023 at hospitals that lost obstetric services the following year (in 2024); this included almost 7,000 births in rural hospitals (1.4% of rural births) and 29,000 births in urban hospitals (0.9% of urban births).
* The loss of obstetric services at hospitals varied across states and over time. In 8 states and Washington D.C., over 20% of hospitals lost obstetric services between 2010 and 2024. Recent losses (between 2023 and 2024) were concentrated in Indiana, Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.
* Losses of hospital-based obstetric services (either because of obstetric unit or full hospital closures) between 2010 and 2024 have resulted in large proportions of hospitals without obstetric services. By 2024, among rural hospitals, the percent without obstetric services was 58%, and among urban hospitals, it was 44%.
* The number of hospitals without obstetric services also varied by state. In 2010, more than 50% of rural hospitals in 12 states had no obstetric services, which increased to 31 states by 2024. Among urban hospitals, more than 50% had no obstetric services in 2 states in 2010, increasing to 15 states in 2024.
Related:
Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49493461 - August 2026
Report: https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2026-08/MCD... [pdf] (updated annually)