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**New CDC Birth    Report Shows Teen Birth Rates Continue to DropReport Also Covers Key Aspects of    Maternal and Infant Health**
**For Immediate Release    Tuesday, August 8, 2000**
**Contact: NCHS Press Office    (301) 458-4800    CDC Office of Media Relations (404) 639-3286    E-mail: [email protected]**

Births: Preliminary Data for 1999. 24    pp. (PHS) 2000-1120.**View/download PDF** 170 KB

The birth    rate for teenagers declined 3 percent between 1998 and 1999, to reach a rate of 49.6    births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 –- the lowest rate in the 60 years data on teen    births have been recorded. The teen birth rate is down 20 percent from the most recent    high in 1991, according to a n ew report from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.****
The preliminary report also    found a drop in the number of births to unmarried teens, record high levels of women    receiving early prenatal care, a rise in the cesarean delivery rate, and no improvement in    the percent of infants born at low birthweight. The report presents data for the nation as    well as key indicators by state.

During the 1990s, teen birth rates    declined among white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic women    aged 15-19, with the largest decline a 30-percent drop among black teens. Hispanic teens    reported the smallest decline of 13 percent. Between 1998 and 1999, the sharpest decline    (6 percent) was for American Indian teenagers followed closely by a 5 percent drop for    black teens.

"In the last few years, we’ve    made remarkable progress in reducing the teen birth rate," said HHS Secretary Donna    E. Shalala. "Parents, local communities, government and teens themselves have all    been part of writing this success story. Everyone benefits when teens postpone pregnancy    until they are ready to assume the responsibility and appreciate the wonder of raising    children," she said.

The drop in teen births was more    pronounced among young teens ages 15-17, who registered a decline of 6 percent between    1998 and 1999. In addition, the number of births for the youngest teenage group, ages    10-14, dropped by 4 percent to the lowest level in 30 years.

The total number of births in the    United States rose again in 1999 to about 3,958,000 and the fertility rate for women aged    15-44 also increased slightly. Birth rates for women aged 20-24 declined slightly between    1998 and 1999 while the rate for women aged 25-29 was up slightly. Birth rates for women    in their thirties and forties continued to increase, with rates for women in their    thirties the highest in three decades.

The report also shows that prenatal    care continues to improve, with a slight increase in the percent of women who received    early prenatal care, up from 82.8 percent in 1998 to 83.2 percent in 1999. This measure of    prenatal care has shown steady progress during the 1990s, rising 10 percent since 1989.    The increase in early prenatal care was most notable for black women and Hispanic women,    with an increase of approximately 25 percent over the past decade.

"Prenatal care-–the earlier,    the better--means healthier mothers and babies," said CDC Director Dr. Jeffrey    Koplan. "In prenatal visits, women and their health care providers can focus on the    healthy habits and preventive services that are so important to mothers and infants,"    he said.

The percent of infants born at low    birth weight (7.6 percent) in 1999 was unchanged from the previous year. There has been a    gradual upward trend in the percent of infants born at low birth weight since the    mid-1980s.

The birth rate for unmarried women in    1999 was 1 percent lower than the previous year; however, the number of births to    unmarried women was up about 1 percent due to the continued increase in the number of    unmarried women of childbearing age. The number of births to unmarried teenagers was 2    percent lower in 1999 than in 1998.

The annual report, which also covers    trends in health issues related to births, shows that cesarean delivery rates were up for    the third year in a row in 1999, reversing a steady decline between 1989 and 1995. The    rate of cesarean delivery increased by 4 percent from 1998 and 1999, up from 21.2 per 100    live births in 1998 to a 1999 rate of 22.0, continuing increases first noted in 1997.

The rise in the total cesarean rate was    primarily fueled by an increase in cesareans to women who had not previously had one - up    4 percent between 1998 and 1999. Another factor contributing to the rise in the total    cesarean rate was the marked decline in the rate of VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean),    down 11 percent in the last year and 17 percent since 1996. The rise in the total cesarean    rate was widespread – increases were observed among woman of all ages and races and    in 45 of the 50 states. However, the preliminary report does not include data on maternal    risk factors – which will be available later in the final data for 1999--to fully    evaluate the factors involved in the increase.

"Births: Preliminary Data for    1999" is based on birth records filed in state vital statistics offices and reported    to CDC through the National Vital Statistics System.

 

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This page last reviewed September 12, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636
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