Last data update: May 13, 2024. (Total: 46773 publications since 2009)
Records 1-15 (of 15 Records) |
Query Trace: Mathews TJ[original query] |
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Behind international rankings of infant mortality: how the United States compares with Europe
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . NCHS Data Brief 2009 (23) 1-8 Infant mortality is an important indicator of the health of a nation, and the recent stagnation (since 2000) in the U.S. infant mortality rate has generated concern among researchers and policy makers. The percentage of preterm births in the United States has risen 36% since 1984 (1). In this report we compare infant mortality rates between the United States and Europe. We also compare two factors that determine the infant mortality rate-gestational age-specific infant mortality rates and the percentage of preterm births. U.S. data are from the Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set (2,3), and European data for 2004 are from the recently published European Perinatal Health Report (4). We also examine requirements for reporting a live birth among countries to assess the possible effect of reporting differences on infant mortality data. |
Annual summary of vital statistics: 2013-2014
Murphy SL , Mathews TJ , Martin JA , Minkovitz CS , Strobino DM . Pediatrics 2017 139 (6) e20163239 The number of births in the United States increased by 1% between 2013 and 2014, to a total of 3 988 076. The general fertility rate rose 1% to 62.9 births per 1000 women. The total fertility rate also rose 0.3% in 2014, to 1862.5 births per 1000 women. The teenage birth rate fell to another historic low in 2014, 24.2 births per 1000 women. The percentage of all births to unmarried women declined to 40.2% in 2014, from 40.6% in 2013. In 2014, the cesarean delivery rate declined to 32.2% from 32.7% in 2013. The preterm birth rate declined for the seventh straight year in 2014 to 9.57%; the low birth weight rate was unchanged at 8.00%. The infant mortality rate decreased to a historic low of 5.82 infant deaths per 1000 live births in 2014. The age-adjusted death rate for 2014 was 7.2 deaths per 1000 population, down 1% from 2013. Crude death rates for children aged 1 to 19 years did not change significantly between 2013 and 2014. Unintentional injuries and suicide were, respectively, the first and second leading causes of death in this age group. These 2 causes of death jointly accounted for 46.5% of all deaths to children and adolescents in 2014. |
Infant deaths - United States, 2005-2008
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . MMWR Suppl 2013 62 (3) 171-5 Infant mortality rates are associated with maternal health, quality of and access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices, which makes infant mortality an increasingly important public health concern. After large declines throughout the twentieth century, the U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline significantly during 2000-2005. Analysis of 2000-2004 infant mortality in the United States indicated considerable disparities by race and Hispanic origin. Race and ethnic disparities in U.S. infant mortality have been apparent since vital statistics data began to be collected more than 100 years ago. These disparities have persisted over time, and research indicates that not all groups have benefited equally from social and medical advances. |
Pregnancy and childbirth among females aged 10-19 years - United States, 2007-2010
Ventura SJ , Hamilton BE , Mathews TJ . MMWR Suppl 2013 62 (3) 71-6 Pregnancy and childbirth among females aged <20 years have been the subject of long-standing concern among the public, the public health community, and policy makers. Teenagers who give birth are much more likely than older women to deliver a low birthweight or preterm infant, and their babies are at higher risk for dying in infancy. The annual public costs associated with births among teenage girls are an estimated $10.9 billion. According to the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), an estimated 77% of births to teenagers aged 15-19 years were unintended. |
Trends and characteristics of home vaginal birth after cesarean delivery in the United States and selected states
MacDorman MF , Declercq E , Mathews TJ , Stotland N . Obstet Gynecol 2012 119 (4) 737-44 OBJECTIVE: To examine trends and characteristics of home vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) in the United States and selected states from 1990-2008. METHODS: Birth certificate data were used to track trends in home and hospital VBACs from 1990-2008. Data on planned home VBAC were analyzed by sociodemographic and medical characteristics for the 25 states reporting this information in 2008 and compared with hospital VBAC data. RESULTS: In 2008, there were approximately 42,000 hospital VBACs and approximately 1,000 home VBACs in the United States, up from 664 in 2003 and 656 in 1990. The percentage of home births that were VBACs increased from less than 1% in 1996 to 4% in 2008, whereas the percentage of hospital births that were VBACs decreased from 3% in 1996 to 1% in 2008. Planned home VBACs had a lower risk profile than hospital VBACs with fewer births to teenagers, unmarried women, or smokers; fewer preterm or low-birth-weight deliveries; and higher maternal education levels. CONCLUSION: Recent increases in the proportion of U.S. women with a prior cesarean delivery mean that an increasing number of women are faced with the choice and associated risks of either VBAC or repeat cesarean delivery. Recent restrictions in hospital VBAC availability have coincided with increases in home VBACs; however, home VBAC remains rare, with approximately 1,000 occurrences in 2008. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II. |
Adolescent pregnancy and childbirth - United States, 1991-2008
Ventura SJ , Mathews TJ , Hamilton BE , Sutton PD , Abma JC . MMWR Suppl 2011 60 (1) 105-8 Giving birth to a child during the adolescent years frequently is associated with long-term adverse consequences for the mother and her child (1--3) that often are attributable in part to fragile family structure and limited social support and financial resources. Compared with infants born to adult women, infants born to adolescent females are at elevated risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, or death during infancy (4--6). An estimated 82% of pregnancies in 2001 among adolescents were unintended (7,8). | | To analyze trends and variations in adolescent pregnancy and birth rates, CDC analyzed birth data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) for 1991--2008. Data for 1991--2007 are final; data for 2008 are preliminary (4,6). Data by maternal race/ethnicity are based on information reported by the mother during the birth registration process. Race and ethnicity are reported separately on birth certificates. Birth rates were calculated by using population estimates prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau. Percentage change over time was calculated by comparing the rates for the beginning and end points in each time period. In analyzing differences over time and among groups, only statistically significant differences are noted. Significance testing is based on the z-test at the 95% confidence level (4,6). Additional information is available elsewhere (4,6). Data regarding adolescent pregnancy are not as current or complete as NVSS data regarding adolescent births. Birth data are based on NVSS and are shared with CDC through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP). National data on adolescent pregnancy and childbirth according to such attributes as educational attainment and disability status are not available because this information is not collected consistently and completely in NVSS and the National Abortion Surveillance System. Abortion estimates are from abortion surveillance information collected from the majority of states by CDC; these estimates are adjusted to national totals by the Guttmacher Institute (9). Information on fetal losses is derived from the pregnancy history data collected from multiple cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), conducted by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (9). The most recent pregnancy estimates that include data on live births, induced abortions, and fetal losses are for 2005 (9). |
Infant deaths - United States, 2000-2007
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . MMWR Suppl 2011 60 (1) 49-51 Infant mortality rates are an important indicator of the health of a nation because they are associated with maternal health, quality of and access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices (1,2). The U.S. infant mortality rate (the number of deaths among infants aged <1 year per 1,000 live births) declined from approximately 100 deaths per 1,000 births in 1900 (3) to 6.89 in 2000 (4). However, the rate did not decline substantially from 2000 to 2005. The infant mortality rate declined slightly but significantly from 6.86 in 2005 to 6.68 in 2006. The 2007 rate (6.75) was not significantly different from the 2006 rate (6.68) (4--6). In addition, considerable differences in infant mortality rates among racial/ethnic groups have persisted and even increased, demonstrating that not all racial/ethnic groups have benefited equally from social and medical advances (5,7). | | To analyze trends and variations in infant mortality in the United States, CDC analyzed data from linked birth--infant death data sets (linked files) for 2000--2006 (8). In these data sets, information from the birth certificate is linked to information from the death certificate for each infant (aged <1 year) who dies in the United States. This allows researchers to use the more accurate race/ethnicity data from the birth certificate for infant mortality analysis (8,9). Linked data are available through 2006. Data by maternal race and Hispanic ethnicity are based on information reported by the mother during the birth registration process. Race and ethnicity are reported separately on birth certificates, and persons of Hispanic origin might be of any race. Data from the main mortality file (i.e., death certificates not linked to birth certificates) are available for 2007 and are used for the overall infant mortality rate but not for race/ethnicity comparisons (6). Infant mortality rates were calculated as the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births in the specified group. Percentage change over time was calculated by comparing the rates for the beginning and end points in each period. Differences between infant mortality rates were assessed for statistical significance by using the z test (p<0.05). National data on infant mortality according to educational attainment and family income status were not analyzed; these data are not available because they are either not collected or collected inconsistently. |
Expanded data from the new birth certificate, 2008
Osterman MJ , Martin JA , Mathews TJ , Hamilton BE . Natl Vital Stat Rep 2011 59 (7) 1-28 OBJECTIVES: This report presents data for selected items exclusive to the 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth as well as key items considered not comparable between the 1989 (unrevised) and 2003 (revised) versions for states and territories that implemented the 2003 revision as of January 1, 2008. Information is shown for educational attainment, tobacco use during pregnancy, month prenatal care began, and checkboxes in the following categories: "risk factors in this pregnancy," "obstetric procedures," "characteristics of labor and delivery," "method of delivery," "abnormal conditions of the newborn," and "congenital anomalies of the newborn." METHODS: Descriptive statistics are presented on births occurring in 2008 to residents of the 27 states that implemented the revised birth certificate. RESULTS: There were 2,748,302 births to residents of the 27-state reporting area, representing 65 percent of 2008 U.S. births. About 78 percent of women had at least a high school diploma; 24.5 percent had an advanced education. One out of 10 women smoked during pregnancy (24-state reporting area) and one out of five smokers quit while pregnant. Almost three-quarters of women began prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy. The rate of prepregnancy diabetes was 6.5 per 1,000 and gestational diabetes was 40.6; risk of both types rose with maternal age. Nearly one out of four women had a primary cesarean delivery; less than 1 out of 10 women had a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. About 27 percent of women attempted a trial of labor before a cesarean delivery. Seven percent of all infants were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. |
United States home births increase 20 percent from 2004 to 2008
MacDorman MF , Declercq E , Mathews TJ . Birth 2011 38 (3) 185-90 BACKGROUND: After a gradual decline from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of births occurring at home increased from 2004 to 2008 in the United States. The objective of this report was to examine the recent increase in home births and the factors associated with this increase from 2004 to 2008. METHODS: United States birth certificate data on home births were analyzed by maternal demographic and medical characteristics. RESULTS: In 2008, there were 28,357 home births in the United States. From 2004 to 2008, the percentage of births occurring at home increased by 20 percent from 0.56 percent to 0.67 percent of United States births. This rise was largely driven by a 28 percent increase in the percentage of home births for non-Hispanic white women, for whom more than 1 percent of births occur at home. At the same time, the risk profile for home births has been lowered, with substantial drops in the percentage of home births of infants who are born preterm or at low birthweight, and declines in the percentage of home births that occur to teen and unmarried mothers. Twenty-seven states had statistically significant increases in the percentage of home births from 2004 to 2008; only four states had declines. CONCLUSION: The 20 percent increase in United States home births from 2004 to 2008 is a notable development that will be of interest to practitioners and policymakers. |
Annual summary of vital statistics: 2008
Mathews TJ , Minino AM , Osterman MJ , Strobino DM , Guyer B . Pediatrics 2010 127 (1) 146-57 The number of births in the United States decreased between 2007 and 2008 (preliminary estimate: 4,251,095). Birth rates declined among all women aged 15 to 39 years; the decrease among teenagers reverses the increases seen in the previous 2 years. The total fertility rate decreased 2% in 2008 to 2085.5 births per 1000 women. The proportion of all births to unmarried women increased to 40.6% in 2008, up from 39.7% in 2007. The 2008 preterm birth rate was 12.3%, a decline of 3% from 2007. In 2008, 32.3% of all births occurred by cesarean delivery, up nearly 2% from 2007. Twin and triplet birth rates were unchanged. The infant mortality rate was 6.59 infant deaths per 1000 live births in 2008 (significantly lower than the rate of 6.75 in 2007). Life expectancy at birth was 77.8 years in 2008. Crude death rates for children aged 1 to 19 years decreased by 5.5% between 2007 and 2008. Unintentional injuries and homicide were, respectively, the first and second leading causes of death in this age group. These 2 causes of death jointly accounted for 51.2% of all deaths of children and adolescents in 2008. This annual article is a long-standing feature in Pediatrics and provides a summary of the most current vital statistics data for the United States. We also include a special feature this year on the differences in cesarean-delivery rates according to race and Hispanic origin. |
State disparities in teenage birth rates in the United States
Mathews TJ , Sutton PD , Hamilton BE , Ventura SJ . NCHS Data Brief 2010 (46) 1-8 KEY FINDINGS: In 2008, state-specific teenage birth rates varied widely, from less than 25.0 per 1,000 15-19 year olds to more than 60.0. Rates for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic teenagers were uniformly higher in the Southeast and lower in the Northeast and California. The highest rates for non-Hispanic black teenagers were reported in the upper Midwest and in the Southeast. The race and Hispanic origin-specific birth rates by state as well as the population composition of states by race and Hispanic origin contribute to state variations in overall teenage birth rates. |
Behind international rankings of infant mortality: how the United States compares with Europe
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . Int J Health Serv 2010 40 (4) 577-588 In 2005, the United States ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality. Infant mortality rates for preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) infants are lower in the United States than in most European countries; however, infant mortality rates for infants born at 37 or more weeks of gestation are higher in the United States than in most European countries. One in 8 births in the United States were preterm in 2005, compared with 1 in 18 births in Ireland and Finland, and 1 in 16 in France and Sweden. If the United States had Sweden's distribution of births by gestational age, nearly 8,000 infant deaths in the United States would be averted each year, and the U.S. infant mortality rate would be one-third lower. The main cause of the United States' high infant mortality rate when compared with Europe is the very high percentage of preterm births in the United States, the period when infant mortality is greatest. |
BirthStats: percentage of preterm births, United States and selected European countries, 2004
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . Birth 2010 37 (2) 168 Compared with 18 European countries, as shown in the graph below, the United States had the highest percentage of preterm births (12.4%) in 2004 (1). Except for Austria (11.4%), the other countries had levels of 8.9 percent or less. Ireland had the lowest percentage (5.5%) followed by Finland (5.6%), Greece (6.0%), and Sweden and France (6.3%). In other words, 1 of every 8 U.S. babies were born preterm in 2004, compared with 1 of 16 in Sweden and France, 1 of 17 in Greece, and 1 of 18 in Ireland and Finland. Because preterm babies are at greater risk of death than term babies, countries with a higher percentage of preterm births tend to have higher infant mortality rates. European data are from the European Perinatal Health Report (2), whereas data for the United States are from the linked birth/infant death data set (3). Births at less than 22 weeks of gestation were excluded to promote comparability between countries (1,2). |
Control selection and participation in an ongoing, population-based, case-control study of birth defects: the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Cogswell ME , Bitsko RH , Anderka M , Caton AR , Feldkamp ML , Hockett Sherlock SM , Meyer RE , Ramadhani T , Robbins JM , Shaw GM , Mathews TJ , Royle M , Reefhuis J , National Birth Defects Prevention Study . Am J Epidemiol 2009 170 (8) 975-85 To evaluate the representativeness of controls in an ongoing, population-based, case-control study of birth defects in 10 centers across the United States, researchers compared 1997-2003 birth certificate data linked to selected controls (n = 6,681) and control participants (n = 4,395) with those from their base populations (n = 2,468,697). Researchers analyzed differences in population characteristics (e.g., percentage of births at > or =2,500 g) for each group. Compared with their base populations, control participants did not differ in distributions of maternal or paternal age, previous livebirths, maternal smoking, or diabetes, but they did differ in other maternal (i.e., race/ethnicity, education, entry into prenatal care) and infant (i.e., birth weight, gestational age, and plurality) characteristics. Differences in distributions of maternal, but not infant, characteristics were associated with participation by selected controls. Absolute differences in infant characteristics for the base population versus control participants were < or =1.3 percentage points. Differences in infant characteristics were greater at centers that selected controls from hospitals compared with centers that selected controls from electronic birth certificates. These findings suggest that control participants in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study generally are representative of their base populations. Hospital-based control selection may slightly underascertain infants affected by certain adverse birth outcomes. |
The challenge of infant mortality: have we reached a plateau?
MacDorman MF , Mathews TJ . Public Health Rep 2009 124 (5) 670-81 OBJECTIVES: Infant mortality is a major indicator of the health of a nation. We analyzed recent patterns and trends in U.S. infant mortality, with an emphasis on two of the greatest challenges: (1) persistent racial and ethnic disparities and (2) the impact of preterm and low birthweight delivery. METHODS: Data from the national linked birth/infant death datasets were used to compute infant mortality rates per 100,000 live births by cause of death (COD), and per 1,000 live births for all other variables. Infant mortality rates and other measures of infant health were analyzed and compared. Leading and preterm-related CODs, and international comparisons of infant mortality rates were also examined. RESULTS: Despite the rapid decline in infant mortality during the 20th century, the U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline from 2000 to 2005, and declined only marginally in 2006. Racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality have persisted and increased, as have the percentages of preterm and low birthweight deliveries. After decades of improvement, the infant mortality rate for very low birthweight infants remained unchanged from 2000 to 2005. Infant mortality rates from congenital malformations and sudden infant death syndrome declined; however, rates for preterm-related CODs increased. The U.S. international ranking in infant mortality fell from 12th place in 1960 to 30th place in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Infant mortality is a complex and multifactorial problem that has proved resistant to intervention efforts. Continued increases in preterm and low birthweight delivery present major challenges to further improvement in the infant mortality rate. |
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