Births–Using the NCHS Vital Stats Tool

 

NCHS birth tables with a variety of variables for selection are available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/vitalstats/VitalStatsbirths.htm.

By selecting the national or subnational (i.e., state and some county) levels, you can find specific statistics for national, state, and some county birth rates, fertility rates, method of delivery (vaginal or cesarean), length of pregnancy, birthweight, characteristics of the mother (i.e., age, race, marital status, education), prenatal care, and risk factors (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, and smoking). For journalists who need assistance, feel free to contact the NCHS press office.

Teen births increase in over one-half of states

The teen birth rate increased in more than half of all 50 states in 2006, according to an NCHS report released today. Click here for the report.

The data show teen birth rates were highest in the South and Southwest, with the highest rate recorded in Mississippi (68.4), followed by New Mexico (64.1) and Texas (63.1).

Teen birth rates in 2006 were lowest in the Northeast in 2006, with the lowest rates occurring in New Hampshire (18.7), Vermont (20.8), and Massachusetts (21.3). The only states with a decrease in teen birth rates between 2005 and 2006 were North Dakota, Rhode Island, and New York.

NCHS reported in December 2007 that the teen birth rate for the nation as a whole increased for the first time in 15 years in 2006 from 40.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 2005 to 41.9 in 2006.

The report also features birth data on a variety of topics, including state-based and national information on teen, unmarried, and multiple births, along with health data on smoking during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, and low birthweight.

Multiple Births

The twin birth rate rose 2 percent for 2004, to 32.2 twins per 1,000 total births, another record high. The twinning rate has climbed 42 percent since 1990 (from 22.6), and 70 percent since 1980 (18.9). The number of live births in twin deliveries rose to 132,219, nearly double the number reported for 1980 (from 68,339).

In contrast to the continued upswing in twin births, the rate of triplet and higher-order multiple births (triplet/+ birth rate) declined 6 percent for 2004, to 176.9 per 100,000, from 187.4 in 2003. The triplet/+ birth rate (the number of triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, and other higher-order multiples per 100,000 live births) soared by more than 400 percent between 1980 and 1998 (from 37.0 to 193.5 per 100,000 births) (125). Since 1999, however, this rate has been comparatively stable, trending slightly downward; the current year level is 9 percent lower than the 1998 peak. In 2004, 7,275 triplets/+ were born, a drop of 5 percent from the previous year, and the lowest number reported since 1997. Similar trends in twinning and in triplet/+ birth rates have been observed over the last several decades in England and Wales.

Births: Final Data For 2004

One of our most frequently asked questions is about multiple births. For your convenience multiple births since 1971 are available here.