Category: Mothers
New Report Looks at Pregnant Mothers with Confirmed or Presumed COVID in 14 States and D.C.

NCHS has released a new report, “Trends In Characteristics of Mothers With Confirmed or Presumed COVID-19 During Pregnancy: 14 States and The District of Columbia, July 2020‒June 2022,” that looks at changes by maternal age, educational attainment, race and Hispanic origin, and principal source of payment for the delivery. The report includes data from the Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes, by Maternal Age — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2016 and 2021

The percentage of mothers giving birth who received a diagnosis of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) increased from 6.0% in 2016 to 8.3% in 2021. Increases in gestational diabetes were seen in each maternal age group, and rates rose steadily with maternal age; in 2021, the rate for mothers aged ≥40 years (15.6%) was nearly Read More >
Posted on byHome Births in the U.S. Increase to Highest Level in 30 Years

Home births in the United States rose 12% from 2020 to 2021, and reached the highest level since at least 1990. These findings are included in a new report to be released by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The report “Changes in Home Births by Race and Hispanic Origin and State of Residence Read More >
Posted on byDeclines in Births by Month: United States, 2020
NCHS released a report that presents provisional 2020 and final 2019 and 2018 data on changes in the number of U.S. births by race and Hispanic origin of mother and by month of birth and state. Findings: From 2019 to 2020, the number of births for the United States declined for each month, with the Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Provisional Data for 2020
The general fertility rate in the U.S. reached another record low in 2020 and the number of births in 2020 fell for the sixth straight year, according to provisional statistics released today by NCHS. The provisional data are featured in a new report, “Births: Provisional Data for 2020,” which is based on over 99% of Read More >
Posted on byFact or Fiction – Have maternal deaths in the United States been on the rise over the past several years?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnH7DfRgU-w Source: National Vital Statistics System, 2018 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/maternal-mortality/index.htm Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Final Data for 2018
Questions for Joyce Martin, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Births: Final Data for 2018” Q: What is new in this report from the 2018 provisional birth report? JM: In addition to providing final numbers and rates for numerous birth characteristics such as fertility rates, teen childbearing, cesarean delivery and preterm and low birthweight, this Read More >
Posted on byIs Twin Childbearing on the Decline? Twin births in the United States, 2014-2018
Questions for Joyce Martin, Lead Author of, “Is Twin Childbearing on the Decline? Twin births in the United States, 2014-2018.” Q: Is this the first time you have published a report on this topic? JM: General information on twin births is published annually in the National Vital Statistics Report series “Births: Final Data.” A number Read More >
Posted on byEducational Attainment of Mothers Aged 25 Years and Over: United States, 2017
Questions for Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., Demographer, Statistician, and Lead Author of “Educational Attainment of Mothers Aged 25 Years and Over: United States, 2017.” Q: Why study education attainment of mothers in the United States? BH: Educational attainment of the mother is considered an important measure of socioeconomic status. Maternal education has been shown to Read More >
Posted on by“Births: Final Data for 2017” Released
The comprehensive report on final births data for the United States was released on November 7, 2018, documenting a total of 3,855,500 births registered in the United States, down 2% from 2016. Compared with rates in 2016, the general fertility rate declined to 60.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44. The birth rate for females Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Provisional Data for 2017
Questions for Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., Demographer, Statistician, and Lead Author of “Births: Provisional Data for 2017” Q: What did you think was the most interesting finding in your new analysis? BH: The report includes a number of very interesting findings. The general fertility rate, 60.2 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, declining 3% in Read More >
Posted on byFact or Fiction: Are Asian mothers are less likely to be unmarried at the time they give birth than mothers of other race/ethnicities in the U.S.?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqV2e7u8fjU Source: National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 67, Nos. 1 and 2 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01_tables.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_02.pdf Read More >
Posted on byAsian American Mothers: Maternal Characteristics by Maternal Place of Birth and Asian Subgroup, United States, 2016
Questions for Anne K. Driscoll, Ph.D., Statistician and Lead Author of “Asian American Mothers: Maternal Characteristics by Maternal Place of Birth and Asian Subgroup, United States, 2016” Q: What do you feel was the most interesting finding in your report? AD: Although Asian mothers as a groups differ from other mothers on the characteristics analyzed, Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Final Data for 2015
Questions for Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H., Demographer, Statistician, and Lead Author on “Births: Final Data for 2015” Q: Was there a result in your study’s analysis of births in the United States that you hadn’t expected and that really surprised you? JM: Although small, (from 9.57% to 9.63%) the rise in the preterm birth rate Read More >
Posted on bySmoking Prevalence and Cessation Before and During Pregnancy
A new NCHS report presents findings on maternal smoking prevalence and cessation before and during pregnancy as collected on the 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth, for a 46-state and District of Columbia reporting area, representing 95% of all births in the United States. Findings: About 1 in 10 women who gave birth in Read More >
Posted on byAverage Age of Mothers is on the Rise in the United States
A mother’s age at birth, and particularly the mean or “average” age when a mother has her first child, is of interest to researchers and the public. Mean age can affect the total number of births a mother has over a lifetime, which in turn impacts the composition and growth of the U.S. population. Age Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Final Data for 2014
NCHS has released a new report that presents 2014 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Data are presented for maternal age, live-birth order, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, attendant at birth, method of delivery, period of gestation, birthweight,and plurality. Birth and fertility rates are presented by age, live-birth order, race Read More >
Posted on byMortality in the United States, 2012
A new NCHS report presents 2012 U.S. final mortality data on deaths and death rates by demographic and medical characteristics. These data provide information on mortality patterns among residents of the United States by such variables as sex, race and ethnicity, and cause of death. Information on mortality patterns is key to understanding changes in the Read More >
Posted on byHave late preterm births increased among mothers of all ages?
Late preterm birth rates have risen among mothers of all ages from 1990 to 2006, including teenage mothers (up 5 percent). Among mothers age 25 years and over, late preterm birth rates increased by more than 20 percent from 1990 to 2006. Younger (under age 20 years) and older (40 years and over) mothers are Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentReport on Hurricane Katrina’s effect on the number of births in the Gulf Region released
On Friday, August 28, 2009, CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released “The Effect of Hurricane Katrina: Births in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region, Before and After the Storm.” The report documents how births were impacted in 91 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated counties and parishes of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi for a 12-month Read More >
Posted on byWomen starting their families later in life
Did you know that in the United States, the average age of a mother at first birth has increased 3.6 years since 1970? Not only are U.S. women starting their families later in life, but the trend depends a great deal on a person’s race/ethnicity and where she lives. Also, the U.S. has a much Read More >
Posted on byFederal report on America’s children released
Federal interagency report shows declines in preterm birth and low birthweight. Children more likely to live in poverty, less likely to have parent employed full time. These and other statistics have been compiled in America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009. It is compiled by a number of federal agencies and provides a comprehensive Read More >
Posted on byBirths–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 Read More >
Posted on byNew birth statistics released–teen birth rate raises once again
New birth statistics released today by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reveal that the U.S. teen birth rate increased slightly in 2007 for the second straight year. The findings are published in a new report, “Births: Preliminary Data for 2007,” based on analysis of nearly 99% of birth records reported to 50 States Read More >
Posted on byTeen 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 Read More >
Posted on by