How to Use New York’s Maternity Information Profiles to Compare Hospitals

Choosing where to give birth is one of the most important decisions expectant parents make. In New York, you have access to a powerful tool that most parents don’t know exists: official state-verified data comparing every hospital and birth center’s track record with deliveries, interventions, and outcomes.

The New York State Department of Health publishes Maternity Information Profiles for every facility that delivers babies. These profiles contain standardized statistics on cesarean rates, VBAC success, intervention practices, and newborn outcomes. This isn’t marketing material from hospitals themselves. It’s government-regulated data designed specifically to help you make an informed choice.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to find, read, and use these profiles to compare hospitals based on facts, not just reputation or convenience.

What New York’s Maternity Information Profiles Actually Show You

New York’s Maternity Information Profiles give you a standardized snapshot of what happens at each hospital during labor and delivery. You can see hard numbers on practices and outcomes, which means you can compare facilities using the same metrics across the board.

Each profile includes:

• Cesarean section rates (both primary and repeat cesareans)
• VBAC rates (vaginal birth after cesarean success rates)
• Induction rates (how often labor is started artificially)
• Instrumental delivery rates (forceps and vacuum assistance)
• Episiotomy rates (surgical cuts during delivery)
• Pain management options used (epidural rates, other anesthesia)
• Electronic fetal monitoring practices
• NICU admission rates (how often babies need intensive care)
• Breastfeeding rates at discharge
• Perinatal designation level (the facility’s capability rating for high-risk care)
• Demographic breakdown (including Medicaid births, which often correlates with health equity issues)

This data matters because intervention rates vary dramatically between hospitals. Statewide, about 33% of births result in cesarean section, but some hospitals have rates well above or below this average. Understanding why these differences exist and what they mean for your situation is essential.

The Legal Requirement Behind These Public Reports

New York’s Maternity Information Act (Public Health Law § 2803-j) doesn’t just encourage hospitals to share statistics. It legally requires them to do so.

Every hospital and birth center must:

• Compile an annual statistical profile of birth-related practices and outcomes
• Make this profile available to the public online
• Provide this information to patients during pre-admission
• Supply it upon request at any time

This legal mandate exists because lawmakers recognized that childbirth outcomes vary significantly between facilities, and parents deserve access to objective data when making this crucial decision. The law treats maternity care transparency as a public health priority, not an optional nicety.

The data comes from SPARCS (Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System), New York’s comprehensive hospital discharge database. SPARCS captures every hospital stay in the state with detailed diagnostic and procedural codes, making it one of the most authoritative sources for health outcomes research and public accountability.

Where to Find Maternity Information Profiles for New York Hospitals

The main portal for accessing these profiles is straightforward: https://profiles.health.ny.gov/hospital/pages/maternity

Here’s what you’ll find:

The site lets you search by county, region, or specific hospital name. Once you select a facility, you’ll see its complete maternity profile with all the metrics listed above, typically presented as percentages.

You can view multiple hospitals side by side, which makes direct comparison easy. Since the data is standardized, a cesarean rate at one hospital means the same thing as a cesarean rate at another. You’re comparing apples to apples.

The profiles are updated annually, so you’re looking at recent data, not outdated statistics. Check the reporting year at the top of each profile to confirm you’re reviewing the most current information available.

Step by Step Guide to Comparing Maternity Hospitals in New York

Start at the NYS Health Profiles Maternity Portal

Go directly to the maternity section at profiles.health.ny.gov. You can filter by geographic area if you’re narrowing down options based on location, or search for specific hospitals you’re already considering.

Open profiles for at least three to five hospitals if possible. This gives you a meaningful range for comparison and helps you identify outliers in either direction.

Look at Cesarean Section Rates First

Cesarean rates tell you a lot about a hospital’s approach to birth. The statewide average hovers around 33%, but you’ll see significant variation.

Lower cesarean rates generally indicate a facility that supports physiologic birth and uses surgical delivery more selectively. Higher rates might signal more interventionist practices or could reflect the hospital’s role as a referral center for complicated pregnancies.

Pay attention to both primary cesarean rates (first-time cesareans) and repeat cesarean rates. Some hospitals have high overall rates but good VBAC programs, which tells a different story than uniformly high surgical delivery rates.

Check VBAC Success Rates

If you’ve had a previous cesarean, VBAC rates matter tremendously. Not all hospitals support vaginal birth after cesarean, and among those that do, success rates vary widely.

A hospital with a robust VBAC program and high success rates demonstrates comfort with this option and likely has protocols that support it. Low VBAC rates or facilities that don’t offer VBAC at all may indicate a more surgery-focused approach or policies that make trial of labor after cesarean difficult.

Review Intervention Rates for Induction, Episiotomy, and Instrumental Delivery

Look at how often the hospital uses labor induction, episiotomy (surgical cuts to widen the vaginal opening), and instrumental deliveries (forceps or vacuum extraction).

High induction rates might mean the facility leans toward scheduled or medically managed labor. This isn’t inherently good or bad, but it’s worth understanding, especially if you’re hoping for spontaneous labor.

Episiotomy rates have dropped nationwide as research showed routine use caused more harm than benefit. Hospitals with persistently high episiotomy rates may be slower to adopt evidence-based practices.

Instrumental delivery rates help you understand how the hospital handles second-stage complications. Some facilities use these tools skillfully to avoid cesarean; others may have lost proficiency as these techniques become less common.

Examine NICU Admission Rates and Breastfeeding Support

NICU admission rates show how often newborns need intensive care after birth. Higher rates might indicate the hospital sees more high-risk pregnancies, but they could also reflect different thresholds for admission or overuse of interventions that increase newborn complications.

Breastfeeding rates at discharge tell you something about postpartum support. Hospitals with high breastfeeding initiation rates typically have lactation consultants, rooming-in policies, and staff trained in breastfeeding support.

Understand the Hospital’s Perinatal Designation Level

New York designates maternity facilities on a four-level scale based on their capacity to handle maternal and newborn complications:

Level I facilities provide basic maternity and newborn care for uncomplicated pregnancies and healthy term infants.

Level II facilities can handle some complications and provide intermediate newborn care but transfer more complex cases.

Level III facilities (Regional Perinatal Centers) offer comprehensive services for high-risk pregnancies and have Level III or IV NICUs for critically ill newborns.

Level IV facilities represent the highest level of maternal and neonatal intensive care, handling the most complex cases in the region.

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, you may need or be referred to a Level III or IV center. These facilities will naturally have higher intervention rates because they see more complicated cases. Comparing their statistics to a Level I community hospital isn’t necessarily meaningful without accounting for this difference.

If your pregnancy is low-risk, you might prefer a Level I or II hospital where the environment is geared toward uncomplicated birth and intervention rates are typically lower.

How to Put Hospital Data in Proper Context

Raw statistics only tell part of the story. Context makes them meaningful.

Patient Population Matters Significantly

A hospital serving a community with high rates of chronic conditions, limited prenatal care access, or socioeconomic challenges will likely have different outcomes than one serving a generally healthy, well-resourced population.

The profiles show demographic information including the percentage of Medicaid births. This isn’t about insurance type per se but serves as a proxy for socioeconomic factors that affect health. Hospitals with higher percentages of Medicaid patients often serve communities facing systemic barriers to health, which can influence complication rates.

Similarly, regional referral centers see more high-risk transfers by design. Their cesarean rates naturally run higher because they’re receiving patients with complications that smaller hospitals can’t manage. A 40% cesarean rate at a major academic medical center might reflect appropriate care for a high-risk population, while the same rate at a community hospital serving low-risk patients would be concerning.

Individual Provider Practices Vary Within Hospitals

Hospital-wide statistics represent averages across all providers. Your individual obstetrician or midwife’s practice patterns might differ from the hospital average.

It’s worth asking your provider directly: “Where does your cesarean rate fall compared to the hospital average?” or “How often do you support VBAC?” Providers comfortable with evidence-based care should be willing to discuss their personal statistics and philosophy.

The hospital environment matters too. Even an individual provider who prefers less intervention works within institutional policies, available support, and a culture that either encourages or discourages certain practices.

Volume Affects Rate Stability

Hospitals with very few births per year can show dramatic swings in percentages from one year to the next. A facility with 50 annual births might jump from a 20% to 35% cesarean rate with just a handful of additional surgical deliveries, while a hospital with 3,000 births shows more stable trends.

When reviewing small-volume facilities, look at multiple years if available and focus on general patterns rather than single-year snapshots.

Using Additional State Data Resources for Deeper Analysis

The Maternity Information Profiles are your starting point, but New York provides additional data sources that add important layers of understanding.

Health Data NY and Maternal Health Dashboards

Health Data NY (health.data.ny.gov) offers downloadable datasets on maternal and infant health with more granular breakdowns by race, ethnicity, and geography. You can see which hospitals have better or worse outcomes for specific populations.

The state’s Maternal and Child Health Dashboard provides visualizations of trends over time, helping you see whether a hospital’s performance is improving, declining, or holding steady.

Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Reports

New York publishes regular reports on severe maternal morbidity (serious complications during or after birth) and maternal mortality (deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth). These reports break down disparities by race and ethnicity, revealing troubling patterns.

Black women in New York experience maternal mortality rates three to four times higher than white women. Hispanic women face elevated risks for certain complications. These disparities persist across income levels and education, pointing to systemic issues in how hospitals and providers treat women of color.

Recent analysis of New York City birth data found that Black and Hispanic women had higher rates of severe complications at hospitals in the highest tertile for morbidity. This means facility choice matters differently depending on your racial and ethnic identity. A hospital with average overall outcomes might have significantly worse outcomes for Black women specifically.

When comparing hospitals, look beyond overall averages to outcomes by demographic group if that data is available. It’s a matter of both transparency and safety.

SPARCS Data for Research and Accountability

While individual families typically won’t access SPARCS directly, this database underpins all the public profiles and reports. It contains every hospital discharge in New York with detailed diagnostic and treatment codes.

Researchers, policymakers, and advocacy organizations use SPARCS data to identify patterns, hold hospitals accountable, and drive quality improvement initiatives. The fact that this comprehensive system exists means the data you’re viewing has been thoroughly vetted and is used for serious public health decision-making.

How to Use This Information to Make Your Decision

These profiles exist to inform your choice, not make it for you. Here’s a practical approach to using them effectively:

Start With a Shortlist Based on Geography and Logistics

Realistically, most people choose hospitals within a reasonable distance from home. Start with facilities that make sense geographically, then use the profiles to evaluate them.

Create a comparison chart with your top three to five options and key metrics that matter to you personally. If avoiding unnecessary cesarean is a priority, weight those statistics heavily. If access to high-level NICU care matters due to known risks, prioritize facilities with that capability.

Discuss Findings With Your Provider

Bring the data to a prenatal appointment. Ask your provider how their practice aligns with the hospital statistics. Inquire about their approach to common scenarios: How do they manage labor that’s progressing slowly? What’s their threshold for recommending induction or cesarean? How do they support VBAC or spontaneous labor?

Providers who practice evidence-based care should welcome these questions. If a provider becomes defensive or dismisses your research, that reaction itself is information.

Consider the Match Between Your Priorities and Hospital Culture

Every hospital has a culture that reflects its approach to birth. Some emphasize technology and intervention. Others prioritize physiologic birth and minimal interference when possible. Neither is universally right or wrong, but there should be alignment between your values and the facility’s approach.

If you want a birth center experience with maximum autonomy and minimal intervention, choosing a hospital with a 45% cesarean rate sets you up for a potential mismatch. Conversely, if you have significant risk factors and want access to immediate specialized care, a small community hospital without advanced capabilities might not provide the safety margin you need.

Remember That Transparency Indicates Accountability

Hospitals that perform well on these metrics and have lower complication rates often promote their statistics. They’re proud of their outcomes and want you to know about them. Facilities that don’t discuss their data or make it difficult to access might have something to hide, or they might not prioritize quality improvement in maternity care.

The fact that New York legally requires this transparency puts pressure on hospitals to maintain reasonable standards and continuously improve. Use that to your advantage.

Request the Information Directly if Needed

Remember, the law requires hospitals to provide their maternity information profile during pre-admission and upon request. If you’re touring a facility, ask for their most recent profile. How staff respond tells you something about the institution’s transparency culture.

If they readily hand you clear, current data and are willing to discuss it, that’s a positive sign. If they’re evasive, claim not to have it available, or provide outdated information, consider what that suggests about their commitment to informed decision-making.

What These Numbers Mean for Birth Injury Risk

Birth injuries occur when mechanical forces during delivery cause harm to the baby. The most serious injuries often involve the brain (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy from oxygen deprivation) or the brachial plexus nerves in the shoulder (Erb’s palsy from shoulder dystocia).

While the Maternity Information Profiles don’t report birth injury rates directly, the intervention statistics offer meaningful proxy information.

Higher rates of instrumental deliveries (forceps and vacuum) correlate with increased risk of certain injuries when these tools are used inappropriately or without proper skill. However, used judiciously by experienced providers, they can prevent more serious harm by avoiding emergency cesarean or prolonged pushing.

Very high cesarean rates, particularly primary cesareans in low-risk populations, suggest interventionist practices that might include unnecessary inductions leading to cascade interventions, or low tolerance for normal labor variations. Conversely, very low cesarean rates at facilities without strong VBAC programs or those that delay necessary surgical delivery can also increase risk.

NICU admission rates provide indirect information about newborn complications. Unexpectedly high rates at hospitals without corresponding high-risk populations might indicate practices that compromise newborn well-being.

The relationship between hospital practices and injury risk is complex, but transparency in intervention rates helps you assess whether a facility’s approach aligns with evidence-based care, which generally minimizes preventable harm.

Why These Profiles Represent a Model for Maternity Care Transparency

Not every state provides this level of accessible, standardized data. New York’s system represents a significant achievement in healthcare transparency and patient empowerment.

By legally mandating disclosure and creating a user-friendly public portal, New York has made it possible for anyone to compare facilities using objective measures. This puts pressure on hospitals to examine their own practices, identify areas for improvement, and compete on quality rather than just marketing.

The profiles also enable researchers and advocates to identify systemic problems and disparities, leading to targeted interventions and policy changes. When data shows that certain hospitals or regions have persistently poor outcomes, particularly for specific populations, it creates accountability and urgency for change.

For families, this transparency transforms the hospital selection process from guesswork based on reputation and convenience into an informed decision grounded in evidence. You can verify claims, compare options, and advocate for yourself from a position of knowledge rather than trust alone.

Making the Most of New York’s Maternity Data

The Maternity Information Profiles give you power that previous generations of parents never had: the ability to see exactly how hospitals perform before you make a commitment.

Use these profiles early in your pregnancy, not at 38 weeks when your options are limited. If the data reveals concerns about your current hospital, you often have time to switch if another facility better meets your needs.

Combine the profiles with other research. Tour facilities, talk to people who’ve given birth there recently, discuss the data with your provider, and trust your instincts. Data is essential but not sufficient. The right hospital for you balances good statistics with practical considerations and a culture that respects your autonomy.

Remember that these profiles exist because New York recognizes that where and how you give birth profoundly affects outcomes for both you and your baby. The state has given you the tools. Using them well is up to you.

When you walk into a hospital to give birth, you should feel confident that you’ve chosen a facility whose track record aligns with your values and provides the best chance for a healthy outcome. New York’s Maternity Information Profiles make that confidence possible.