ABSTRACT
Objectives- This report presents 2022 data on U.S. births by selected characteristics. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described. Methods-Descriptive tabulations based on birth certificates of the 3.67 million births registered in 2022 are shown by maternal age, live-birth order, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, tobacco use, prenatal care, source of payment for the delivery, method of delivery, gestational age, birthweight, and plurality. Selected data by mother's state of residence and birth rates also are shown. Trends for 2010 to 2022 are presented for selected items, and by race and Hispanic origin for 2016-2022. Results-A total of 3,667,758 births occurred in the United States in 2022, essentially unchanged from 2021. The general fertility rate declined 1% from 2021 to 56.0 births per 1,000 females ages 15-44 in 2022. The birth rate for females ages 15-19 declined 2% from 2021 to 2022; birth rates fell 7% for women ages 20-24, rose 1% to 5% for women ages 25-29 and 35-44, and rose 12% for women ages 45-49 (the first increase since 2016). The total fertility rate declined less than 1% to 1,656.5 births per 1,000 women in 2022. Birth rates declined for unmarried women but increased for married women from 2021 to 2022. Prenatal care beginning in the first trimester declined to 77.0% in 2022; the percentage of women who smoked during pregnancy declined to 3.7%. The cesarean delivery rate was unchanged in 2022 (32.1%); Medicaid was the source of payment for 41.3% of births. The preterm birth rate declined 1% to 10.38%; the low birthweight rate rose 1% to 8.60%. The twin birth rate was unchanged in 2022 (31.2 per 1,000 births); the 2% decrease in the triplet and higher-order multiple birth rate.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy in Adolescence , Premature Birth , Pregnancy , Adolescent , Infant, Newborn , Humans , Female , United States/epidemiology , Birth Weight , Maternal Age , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Birth RateABSTRACT
Objectives- This report presents infant mortality rates for selected maternal characteristics (prepregnancy body mass index, cigarette smoking during pregnancy, receipt of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during pregnancy, timing of prenatal care, and source of payment for delivery) for the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups in the United States for combined years 2019-2021. Methods-Descriptive tabulations based on data from the linked birth/infant death files for 2019-2021 are presented. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Infant mortality rates are presented for each maternal race and Hispanic-origin group overall and by selected characteristics. Results-Infant mortality rates varied across the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups and by selected maternal characteristics. For most race and Hispanic-origin groups, mortality rates were higher among infants of women with prepregnancy obesity compared with those of women who were normal weight, and were higher for infants of women who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy, received late or no prenatal care, or were covered by Medicaid as the source of payment for delivery. Overall, mortality rates were higher for infants of women who received WIC during pregnancy, but results varied across race and Hispanic-origin groups. Mortality rates for the maternal characteristics examined were generally highest among infants of Black non-Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic women and lowest for Asian non-Hispanic women.
Subject(s)
Hispanic or Latino , Infant Mortality , Female , Humans , Infant , Pregnancy , Ethnicity , Infant Death , United States/epidemiology , Racial GroupsABSTRACT
Objective-This report presents 2021 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2021 period linked birth/infant death file. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Results-A total of 19,928 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2021, up 2% from 2020. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.44 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, essentially unchanged from the rate of 5.42 in 2020. The neonatal mortality rate was essentially unchanged from 3.56 in 2020 to 3.49 in 2021, but the postneonatal mortality rate increased from 1.86 to 1.95. The overall infant mortality rate increased for infants of Asian non-Hispanic women and declined for infants of Dominican women in 2021 compared with 2020; changes in rates for the other race and Hispanic-origin groups were not significant. Infants of Black non-Hispanic women had the highest mortality rate (10.55) in 2021, followed by infants of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander non-Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native non-Hispanic (7.76 and 7.46, respectively), Hispanic (4.79), White non-Hispanic (4.36), and Asian non-Hispanic (3.69) women. By gestational age, infants born very preterm (less than 28 weeks of gestation) had the highest mortality rate (353.76), 170 times as high as that for infants born at term (37-41 weeks of gestation) (2.08). The five leading causes of infant death in 2021 were the same as in 2020. Infant mortality rates by state for 2021 ranged from a low of 2.77 in North Dakota to a high of 9.39 in Mississippi.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Humans , Female , United States/epidemiology , Maternal Age , Infant Death , HawaiiABSTRACT
Objectives-This report describes homicide rates among infants (under age 1 year) by selected maternal, pregnancy-related, and infant characteristics. Methods-Linked birth/infant death files based on data collected on U.S. birth and death certificates were used to calculate homicide rates among infants for the period 2017-2020. Results-A total of 1,067 homicides occurred among infants in the United States from 2017 through 2020, an average of 267 per year. More than one-half of all infant homicides occurred among infants aged 3 months and under. Homicide rates were higher among infants born to mothers who were young, had multiple previous live births, were Black non-Hispanic, were born in the United States, had lower levels of education, lived in rural areas, had no prenatal care, and delivered outside of a hospital. Rates were also higher for infants who were part of a multiple-gestation pregnancy, were born preterm or low birthweight, or were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit.
Subject(s)
Homicide , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Infant, Newborn , Pregnancy , Female , Infant , Humans , United States/epidemiology , Pregnancy, Multiple , Infant Mortality , MothersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although mortality rates are highest for infants of teens aged 15 to 19, no studies have examined the long-term trends by race and ethnicity, urbanicity, or maternal age. The objectives of this study were to examine trends and differences in mortality for infants of teens by race and ethnicity and urbanicity from 1996 to 2019 and estimate the contribution of changes in the maternal age distribution and maternal age-specific (infant) mortality rates (ASMRs) to differences in infant deaths in 1996 and 2019. METHODS: We used 1996 to 2019 period-linked birth and infant death data from the United States to assess biennial mortality rates per 1000 live births. Pairwise comparisons of rates were conducted using z test statistics and Joinpoint Regression was used to examine trends. Kitagawa decomposition analysis was used to estimate the proportion of change in infant deaths because of changes in the maternal age distribution and ASMRs. RESULTS: From 1996 to 2019, the mortality rate for infants of teens declined 16.7%, from 10.30 deaths per 1000 live births to 8.58. The decline was significant across racial and ethnic and urbanization subgroups; however, within rural counties, mortality rates did not change significantly for infants of Black or Hispanic teens. Changes in ASMRs accounted for 93.3% of the difference between 1996 and 2019 infant mortality rates, whereas changes in the maternal age distribution accounted for 6.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Additional research into the contextual factors in rural counties that are driving the lack of progress for infants of Black and Hispanic teens may help inform efforts to advance health equity.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Health Status Disparities , Infant Mortality , Adolescent , Humans , Infant , Hispanic or Latino , Infant Death , Maternal Age , United States/epidemiology , Adolescent Mothers , Female , Black or African AmericanABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents 2021 data on U.S. births according to a variety of characteristics. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy in Adolescence , Pregnancy , Female , Adolescent , Humans , United States/epidemiology , Maternal Age , Birth Rate , Birth Certificates , ParturitionABSTRACT
Smoking during pregnancy is an established risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and health issues for newborns later in life (1-3). National birth certificate data on cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked before and during pregnancy first became available in 2016. These data allow for the analysis of maternal cigarette use during pregnancy by numerous maternal and infant characteristics. This report describes changes in the number and percentage of mothers who smoked cigarettes at any time during pregnancy in the United States from 2016 to 2021 and changes between 2016 and 2021 in the percentage of mothers who smoked during pregnancy by maternal age, race and Hispanic origin, and state of residence.
Subject(s)
Cigarette Smoking , Pregnancy , Female , Infant, Newborn , United States/epidemiology , Humans , Cigarette Smoking/epidemiology , Maternal Age , Pregnancy Outcome , Mothers , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents comparisons of maternal characteristics and infant outcomes of Hispanic women and their infants by nativity (whether they were born in or outside the United States) for all Hispanic women and for the six largest Hispanic subgroups by nativity.
Subject(s)
Emigrants and Immigrants , Mothers , Pregnancy , United States/epidemiology , Infant , Female , Humans , Hispanic or Latino , Parturition , Residence CharacteristicsABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents 2020 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Infant Mortality , Cause of Death , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant , Infant Death , Maternal Age , Mortality , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Disparities in infant mortality by race and Hispanic origin groups continue to persist in the United States. Maternal and infant characteristics known to be associated with infant mortality vary by race and ethnicity. This report describes racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality in the United States using the 2017-2018 cohort linked birth/infant death files from the National Vital Statistics System. Distributions of births and infant mortality rates are described by selected maternal and infant characteristics. Adjusted rates and rate ratios from logistic regression models, compared to unadjusted rates and ratios, show the extent to which race and Hispanic origin disparities would be attenuated if all groups had the same distributions of select maternal and infant factors. Results support the premise that the different distributions of several variables across racial/ethnic groups, most notably gestational age, account for a significant portion of the disparities in infant mortality between racial/ethnic groups.
Subject(s)
Hispanic or Latino , Infant Mortality , Infant , United States/epidemiology , Humans , Ethnicity , Gestational Age , Racial GroupsABSTRACT
This report describes and compares maternalcharacteristics and infant outcomes by maternal place of birth (that is, whether the mother was born in the United States or in regions, subregions, and selected countries outside the United States) among births occurring in 2020.
Subject(s)
Infant, Low Birth Weight , Premature Birth , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature , Population Surveillance , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Outcome/epidemiology , Pregnancy, Multiple , Reproductive Techniques, Assisted , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents 2019 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Infant Mortality , Cause of Death , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant , Infant Death , Maternal Age , Mortality , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents 2019 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 3.75 million births that occurred in 2019 are presented. Data are presented for maternal age, livebirth order, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, tobacco use, prenatal care, source of payment for the delivery, method of delivery, gestational age, birthweight, and plurality. Selected data by mother's state of residence and birth rates by age are also shown. Trend data for 2010 through 2019 are presented for selected items. Trend data by race and Hispanic origin are shown for 2016-2019. Results-A total of 3,747,540 births were registered in the United States in 2019, down 1% from 2018. The general fertility rate declined from 2018 to 58.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 2019. The birth rate for females aged 15-19 fell 4% between 2018 and 2019. Birth rates declined for women aged 20-34 and increased for women aged 35-44 for 2018-2019. The total fertility rate declined to 1,706.0 births per 1,000 women in 2019. Birth rates declined for both married and unmarried women from 2018 to 2019. The percentage of women who began prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy rose to 77.6% in 2019; the percentage of all women who smoked during pregnancy declined to 6.0%. The cesarean delivery rate decreased to 31.7% in 2019 (Figure 1). Medicaid was the source of payment for 42.1% of all births in 2019. The preterm birth rate rose for the fifth straight year to 10.23% in 2019; the rate of low birthweight was essentially unchanged from 2018 at 8.31%. Twin and triplet and higher-order multiple birth rates both declined in 2019 compared with 2018.
Subject(s)
Birth Rate/trends , Adolescent , Adult , Birth Certificates , Birth Order , Birth Rate/ethnology , Birth Weight , Delivery, Obstetric/economics , Delivery, Obstetric/methods , Female , Gestational Age , Hispanic or Latino/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Marital Status/ethnology , Marital Status/statistics & numerical data , Maternal Age , Middle Aged , Mothers/statistics & numerical data , Multiple Birth Offspring/statistics & numerical data , Pregnancy , Prenatal Care/statistics & numerical data , Racial Groups/statistics & numerical data , Tobacco Use/epidemiology , Tobacco Use/ethnology , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents data on distributions in prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), including the three classes of obesity, by maternal race and Hispanic origin for women who gave birth in 2020. It also examines newborn outcomes by BMI by maternal race and Hispanic origin.
Subject(s)
Hispanic or Latino , Obesity , Body Mass Index , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Obesity/epidemiology , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Objectives-This report presents 2020 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted.
Subject(s)
Birth Rate , Pregnancy in Adolescence , Adolescent , Birth Certificates , Female , Humans , Maternal Age , Parturition , Pregnancy , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30.0 and over) has risen in the United States in recent decades (1). Obesity varies by demographic factors, such as age, race and Hispanic origin, and socioeconomic status (2,3). Maternal obesity has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes for mothers and newborns, including gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, large size for gestational age, and infant death (4-10). The 2016 natality data file is the first for which prepregnancy BMI is available for all states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). This report presents trends in prepregnancy obesity for 2016 through 2019 by maternal race and Hispanic origin, age, and educational attainment. Trends by state for 2016-2019 and 2019 rates also are shown.
Subject(s)
Obesity/epidemiology , Preconception Care , Pregnancy Complications/prevention & control , Adult , Age Factors , Ethnicity , Female , Humans , Male , Obesity/ethnology , Obesity/etiology , Pregnancy , Socioeconomic Factors , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
When compared with births among women aged 20 and over, teen pregnancies result in higher rates of neonatal and infant mortality, preterm birth, low birthweight, and maternal complications (1,2). Despite the declining birth rate for teenagers aged 15-19 since 1991, differences continue to occur in the mortality of infants born to teenagers by race and ethnicity and cause of death (1,3). This report examines 2017-2018 linked birth/infant death data from the National Vital Statistics System to describe the recent pattern in racial and ethnic differences in mortality and the leading causes of death for infants born to teen mothers aged 15-19.
Subject(s)
Cause of Death/trends , Infant Mortality/ethnology , Infant Mortality/trends , Pregnancy in Adolescence , Adolescent , Ethnicity , Female , Humans , Infant , Pregnancy , Race Factors , United States/epidemiology , United States/ethnology , Vital Statistics , Young AdultABSTRACT
During January 1, 2020-August 10, 2020, an estimated 5 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported in the United States.* Published state and national data indicate that persons of color might be more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, experience more severe COVID-19-associated illness, including that requiring hospitalization, and have higher risk for death from COVID-19 (1-5). CDC examined county-level disparities in COVID-19 cases among underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in counties identified as hotspots, which are defined using algorithmic thresholds related to the number of new cases and the changes in incidence. Disparities were defined as difference of ≥5% between the proportion of cases and the proportion of the population or a ratio ≥1.5 for the proportion of cases to the proportion of the population for underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in each county. During June 5-18, 205 counties in 33 states were identified as hotspots; among these counties, race was reported for ≥50% of cumulative cases in 79 (38.5%) counties in 22 states; 96.2% of these counties had disparities in COVID-19 cases in one or more underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. Hispanic/Latino (Hispanic) persons were the largest group by population size (3.5 million persons) living in hotspot counties where a disproportionate number of cases among that group was identified, followed by black/African American (black) persons (2 million), American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons (61,000), Asian persons (36,000), and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander (NHPI) persons (31,000). Examining county-level data disaggregated by race/ethnicity can help identify health disparities in COVID-19 cases and inform strategies for preventing and slowing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. More complete race/ethnicity data are needed to fully inform public health decision-making. Addressing the pandemic's disproportionate incidence of COVID-19 in communities of color can reduce the community-wide impact of COVID-19 and improve health outcomes.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/ethnology , Ethnicity/statistics & numerical data , Health Status Disparities , Pneumonia, Viral/ethnology , Racial Groups/statistics & numerical data , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The geographic areas in the United States most affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have changed over time. On May 7, 2020, CDC, with other federal agencies, began identifying counties with increasing COVID-19 incidence (hotspots) to better understand transmission dynamics and offer targeted support to health departments in affected communities. Data for January 22-July 15, 2020, were analyzed retrospectively (January 22-May 6) and prospectively (May 7-July 15) to detect hotspot counties. No counties met hotspot criteria during January 22-March 7, 2020. During March 8-July 15, 2020, 818 counties met hotspot criteria for ≥1 day; these counties included 80% of the U.S. population. The daily number of counties meeting hotspot criteria peaked in early April, decreased and stabilized during mid-April-early June, then increased again during late June-early July. The percentage of counties in the South and West Census regions* meeting hotspot criteria increased from 10% and 13%, respectively, during March-April to 28% and 22%, respectively, during June-July. Identification of community transmission as a contributing factor increased over time, whereas identification of outbreaks in long-term care facilities, food processing facilities, correctional facilities, or other workplaces as contributing factors decreased. Identification of hotspot counties and understanding how they change over time can help prioritize and target implementation of U.S. public health response activities.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , COVID-19 , Humans , Incidence , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Objectives-This report assesses the contributions of the changing maternal age distribution and maternal age-specific infant mortality rates on overall and race and Hispanic origin-specific infant mortality rates in the United States from 2000 to 2017. Methods-The analyses used 2000-2017 linked birth and infant death data from the National Vital Statistics System. Age-adjusted infant mortality rates, based on the 2000 U.S. maternal age distribution, were calculated for each year. These rates were compared with crude rates for all births and for specific race and Hispanic-origin groups. Decomposition analysis was used to estimate the proportion of the decline due to changes in maternal age distribution and in age-specific mortality rates. Results-During 2000-2017, the age of women giving birth rose as infant mortality rates declined, although unevenly across maternal age groups. The maternal age-adjusted infant mortality rate in 2017 was 6.13 compared with the crude rate of 5.79, resulting in a 0.34 percentage point difference. Changes in the maternal age distribution accounted for 31.3% of the decline in infant mortality rates for all births and for births to non-Hispanic white women, and for 4.8% of the decline in births to non-Hispanic black women. Declines in age-specific mortality rates accounted for the remainder of the decline for these groups and for all of the decline in births to Hispanic women. Conclusion-Changes in the age distribution of women giving birth accounted for about one-third of the decline in infant mortality rates from 2000 through 2017; declines in maternal age-specific mortality rates accounted for about two-thirds of this decline. These patterns varied by race and Hispanic origin.