Lowering C-section rates and bleeding by improving maternity care
Reducing Rates of Cesarean Birth and Cesarean-Linked Hemorrhages through Improved Obstetric Care
This program works with hospitals across California to change labor and delivery practices so fewer people have C-sections and severe bleeding after birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136484 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, hospitals, clinicians, public health agencies, and community partners will work together to change how labor and delivery are managed to prevent unnecessary C-sections and related hemorrhage. The team will use a statewide quality improvement network and a real-time data center covering 218 hospitals to track births, outcomes, and practice patterns. They will combine interviews, surveys, and clinical outcome data to understand why cesarean rates vary and introduce multi-level interventions that can be spread across hospitals. If your hospital joins the network, you might see changes in care practices and could be asked to share health information or complete brief surveys as part of quality improvement efforts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who are pregnant and receive care at one of the participating California hospitals are the primary candidates to benefit or be included in this work.
Not a fit: People receiving care outside of the participating hospitals or in other states, and those who need an emergency or medically necessary C-section, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the effort could reduce unnecessary C-sections and lower rates of postpartum hemorrhage and severe maternal complications for birthing people in participating hospitals.
How similar studies have performed: Previous hospital-based quality improvement efforts have lowered C-section rates and hemorrhage in targeted regions, and this project builds on those established methods.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Main, Elliott K — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Main, Elliott K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.