Pregnant woman should research hospitals

A new study finds women who give birth at top rated hospitals have fewer complications, 76 percent for caesarean section, and 51 percent fewer complications for vaginal birth. That's according to the fifth annual Women's Health in American Hospitals Study released by HealthGrades. It also found the cardiovascular disease death rate among women at the best performing hospitals was almost 40 percent lower than at poor performing hospitals and 22 percent lower than at average performing hospitals.

Authors of the study say it is imperative that women research their local hospitals before choosing where to receive their care.