Neonatal Outcomes of Births in Freestanding Birth Centers and Hospitals in the United States, 2016-2019

( Am J Obstet Gynecol . 2022;226:116.e1–116.e7) Free-standing birth centers, a group of locations offering delivery care matching a home setting, do not have access to cesarean deliveries, epidural anesthesia, labor inductions, and more. Transfer between these locations and a hospital takes time and happens frequently, ~23.4% to 45.5% of the time. Despite many studies describing unfavorable results, the number of birth centers and deliveries therein have increased, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study compared neonatal safety in freestanding birth centers and in-hospital delivery centers.