The ‘Worst Test in Medicine’ is Driving America’s High C-Section Rate NYT | Top Stories By: Sarah Kliff 6 November 2025 at 22:10 Round-the-clock fetal monitoring leads to unnecessary C-sections. But it’s used in nearly every birth because of business and legal concerns, The Times found. © Rosem Morton for The New York TimesA remote fetal monitoring center showing real-time heart rates from hospitals across the University of Maryland Medical System.