ILLINOIS — Where to have your baby is one of the most important decisions Illinois parents make. To help guide them, U.S. News & World Report has released a list of the best hospitals for maternity care in 2025.
A record 817 hospitals providing labor and delivery care were evaluated, but only about half were selected, according to U.S. News. In Illinois, 18 of the 30 hospitals evaluated met the criteria for listing. Two of the facilities analyzed were obstetric care access hospitals, one of which was ranked the highest. The latter list, in its second year, recognizes 118 hospitals that serve expectant parents who otherwise would not have access to prenatal and delivery care.
The 18 best maternity hospitals in Illinois are:
The following 10 metropolitan areas have the most hospitals for obstetric care in the United States. Listed alphabetically.
Chicago Dallas-Fort Worth Denver Detroit Los Angeles New York Philadelphia Riverside-San Bernardino, California San Francisco Seattle
Of the 27 hospitals evaluated in Chicago, 18 were included on the list, including one access hospital.
Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News & World Report, said in a news release that the 2025 list is the most comprehensive since the ratings began in 2021.
“These high-performing hospitals provide exceptional care to expectant parents, have significantly lower C-section rates, and fewer unexpected and severe It has been demonstrated that severe neonatal complications occur,” Winston said in a news release.
According to US News, the hospitals on the list are:
47% more likely to be designated as “Baby Friendly” by Baby Friendly USA, indicating hospitals are taking important steps to support breastfeeding. 22 percent lower C-section rate compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News. 44 percent lower rate of serious unexpected neonatal complications compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News. 33 percent lower episiotomy rate than maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News. Breastfeeding rates are 12 percent higher than maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News. 13% more likely to report race/ethnicity data for both cesarean sections and severe unexpected neonatal complications compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.
This list is based on objective measures of quality, such as cesarean section rates in low-risk pregnancies, rates of serious unanticipated neonatal complications, exclusive breastfeeding rates, birth-friendly practices, and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities. Based entirely on. .
