Sanford Sheldon Medical Center: labor and delivery in Sheldon, IA
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center is a hospital in Sheldon, O'Brien County, Iowa that delivers babies. It handled 120 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 8% delivered by C-section (40 such births). That is below the Iowa rate of 24% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 8%First-birth C-section rate
- 120Deliveries in 2025
- 296Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
Address and phone
118 North Seventh Avenue, Po Box 250
Sheldon, IA 51201
O'Brien County
Call (712) 324-5041 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Critical Access hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Sanford Sheldon Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 8% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 296 | 204 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 83 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Iowa, Sanford Sheldon Medical Center has the lowest first-birth C-section rate of 43 hospitals that report one.
The first-birth C-section rate counts first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby. Complication rates are adjusted for patient risk. Our data explains each number.
What patients say
- 63% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 67% of patients rated this hospital 9 or 10 out of 10
Survey results cover all patients at the hospital, not only maternity patients.
Other hospitals that deliver babies near Sheldon
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange City Area Health System | Orange City | 15 | 45% | 227 | – |
| Sioux Center Health | Sioux Center | 17 | 17% | 249 | Yes |
| Floyd Valley Healthcare | Le Mars | 30 | 25% | 110 | Yes |
| Sanford Worthington Medical Center | Worthington | 33 | 21% | 331 | Yes |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee | 33 | – | 81 | Yes |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer | 36 | 19% | 199 | Yes |
All hospitals in Sheldon · O'Brien County · All Iowa hospitals