More than 26,500 women, mostly Latina, have given birth in emergency rooms in Los Angeles County between 2016 and 2023, according to data obtained from California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information. The figures come as at least five maternity units have closed since 2023 and 16 since 2014, leaving many patients with no alternative but to seek care in emergency departments.
At Los Angeles General Medical Center, a public teaching hospital in Boyle Heights, more than 1,400 women presented to the emergency room in labour during that period. Despite a 26% drop in births countywide, ER visits for childbirth rose 14%, indicating a shift in how and where women are giving birth.
Healthcare experts warn that the trend is dangerous. “There’s no system to care for these women,” said Briah Fischer, a former resident at LA General. Research shows that when maternity wards close, access to prenatal care declines, and patients with complex conditions such as high blood pressure or placenta accreta face additional risks.
The strain is also affecting staff. “It can be hard to provide safe care if you’re working so much,” said Dr Sigita Cahoon, the hospital’s vice-chief of obstetrics and gynaecology. The county’s severe maternal morbidity rate rose to 122.1 per 10,000 deliveries in 2023, above the state average, with women of colour disproportionately affected.
Advocates fear the situation could worsen, particularly for undocumented women who may avoid seeking medical help over fears of detention. “We already have unacceptable maternal mortality rates,” said David Pisani of March of Dimes. “Could those numbers go up? At this point, anything is possible.”
