Published online January 4, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 1 January 2006, pp. 168-183 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2587)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow An erratum has been published
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (43)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hoyert, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Guyer, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hoyert, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Guyer, B.
Related Collections
Right arrow Statistics
Right arrowRelated AAP Red Book topics:
Influenza

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2004

Donna L. Hoyert, PhDa, T.J. Mathews, MSa, Fay Menacker, DrPHa, Donna M. Strobino, PhDb and Bernard Guyer, MD, MPHb

a Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland
b Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

The crude birth rate in 2004 was 14.0 births per 1000 population, the second lowest ever reported for the United States. The number of births and the fertility rate (66.3) increased slightly (by <1%) from 2003 to 2004. Fertility rates were highest for Hispanic women (97.7), followed by Asian or Pacific Islander (67.2), non-Hispanic black (66.7), Native American (58.9), and non-Hispanic white (58.5) women.

The birth rate for teen mothers continued to fall, dropping 1% from 2003 to 2004 to 41.2 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years, which is another record low. The teen birth rate has fallen 33% since 1991; declines were more rapid for younger teens aged 15 to 17 (43%) than for older teens aged 18 to 19 (26%). The proportion of all births to unmarried women is now slightly higher than one third. Smoking during pregnancy declined slightly from 2003 to 2004.

In 2004, 29.1% of births were delivered by cesarean delivery, up 6% since 2003 and 41% since 1996 (20.7%). The primary cesarean delivery rate has risen 41% since 1996, whereas the rate of vaginal birth after a previous cesarean delivery has fallen 67%. The use of timely prenatal care was 84.0% in both 2003 and 2004.

The percentage of preterm births rose to 12.5% in 2004 from 10.6% in 1990 and 9.4% in 1981. The percentage of low birth weight births also increased to 8.1% in 2004, up from 6.7% in 1984. Twin birth rate and triplet/+ birth rates increased by 1% and <1%, respectively, from 2002 to 2003. Multiple births accounted for 3.3% of all births in 2003.

The infant mortality rate was 7.0 per 1000 live births in 2002 compared with 6.8 in 2001. The ratio of the infant mortality rate among non-Hispanic black infants to that for non-Hispanic white infants was 2.4 in 2002, the same as in 2001. The United States continues to rank poorly in international comparisons of infant mortality.

Expectation of life at birth reached a record high of 77.6 years for all gender and race groups combined. Death rates in the United States continue to decline, with death rates decreasing for 8 of the 15 leading causes. Death rates for children ≤19 years of age declined for 7 of the 10 leading causes in 2003. The death rates did not increase for any cause, and rates for heart disease, influenza, and pneumonia and septicemia did not change significantly for children as a group. A large proportion of childhood deaths, however, continue to occur as a result of preventable injuries.


Key Words: birth • death • infant mortality • low birth weight • mortality • multiple births • cesarean delivery rate • vital statistics • ICD-10 • revised certificates

Abbreviations: NCHS—National Center for Health Statistics • IMR—infant mortality rate • NMR—neonatal mortality rate • PNMR—postneonatal mortality rate • PMR—perinatal mortality rate • FMR—fetal mortality rate • OMB—Office of Management and Budget • LBW—low birth weight • VBAC—vaginal birth(s) after previous cesarean • VLBW—very low birth weight


Accepted Oct 19, 2005.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Obstet GynecolHome page
R. Bukowski, T. Uchida, G. C. S. Smith, F. D. Malone, R. H. Ball, D. A. Nyberg, C. H. Comstock, G. D. V. Hankins, R. L. Berkowitz, S. J. Gross, et al.
Individualized Norms of Optimal Fetal Growth: Fetal Growth Potential
Obstet. Gynecol., May 1, 2008; 111(5): 1065 - 1076.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Health Aff (Millwood)Home page
B. Sirovich, P. M. Gallagher, D. E. Wennberg, and E. S. Fisher
Discretionary Decision Making By Primary Care Physicians And The Cost Of U.S. Health Care
Health Aff., May 1, 2008; 27(3): 813 - 823.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Obstet GynecolHome page
E. F. Chakravarty, D. Khanna, and L. Chung
Pregnancy Outcomes in Systemic Sclerosis, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, and Sickle Cell Disease
Obstet. Gynecol., April 1, 2008; 111(4): 927 - 934.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
M. E. McCabe, E. A. Hunt, and J. R. Serwint
Pediatric Residents' Clinical and Educational Experiences With End-of-Life Care
Pediatrics, April 1, 2008; 121(4): e731 - e737.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JAMAHome page
Update on Overall Prevalence of Major Birth Defects--Atlanta, Georgia, 1978-2005
JAMA, February 20, 2008; 299(7): 756 - 758.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
P. Nygren, R. Fu, M. Freeman, C. Bougatsos, M. Klebanoff, and J.-M. Guise
Evidence on the Benefits and Harms of Screening and Treating Pregnant Women Who Are Asymptomatic for Bacterial Vaginosis: An Update Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Ann Intern Med, February 5, 2008; 148(3): 220 - 233.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
P. O'Campo, J. G. Burke, J. Culhane, I. T. Elo, J. Eyster, C. Holzman, L. C. Messer, J. S. Kaufman, and B. A. Laraia
Neighborhood Deprivation and Preterm Birth among Non-Hispanic Black and White Women in Eight Geographic Areas in the United States
Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2008; 167(2): 155 - 163.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Public HealthHome page
M. G. Detjen, F. J. Nieto, A. Trentham-Dietz, M. Fleming, and L. Chasan-Taber
Acculturation and Cigarette Smoking Among Pregnant Hispanic Women Residing in the United States
Am J Public Health, November 1, 2007; 97(11): 2040 - 2047.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Obstet GynecolHome page
M. W. Varner, E. Thom, C. Y. Spong, M. B. Landon, K. J. Leveno, D. J. Rouse, A. H. Moawad, H. N. Simhan, M. Harper, R. J. Wapner, et al.
Trial of Labor After One Previous Cesarean Delivery for Multifetal Gestation
Obstet. Gynecol., October 1, 2007; 110(4): 814 - 819.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
A. Kugelman, B. Reichman, I. Chistyakov, V. Boyko, O. Levitski, L. Lerner-Geva, A. Riskin, D. Bader, and in collaboration with the Israel Neonatal Network
Postdischarge Infant Mortality Among Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Population-Based Study
Pediatrics, October 1, 2007; 120(4): e788 - e794.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
H. N. Simhan and S. N. Caritis
Prevention of Preterm Delivery
N. Engl. J. Med., August 2, 2007; 357(5): 477 - 487.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Chem.Home page
A. Woodworth, J. Moore, C. G'Sell, A. Verdoes, J. A. Snyder, L. Morris, C. Wares, D. G. Grenache, and A. M. Gronowski
Diagnostic Accuracy of Cervicovaginal Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-6:Albumin Ratio as Markers of Preterm Delivery
Clin. Chem., August 1, 2007; 53(8): 1534 - 1540.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
West J Nurs ResHome page
S. C. Vonderheid, K. F. Norr, and A. S. Handler
Prenatal Health Promotion Content and Health Behaviors
West J Nurs Res, April 1, 2007; 29(3): 258 - 276.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.Home page
M. J Bizzarro, L.-M. Dembry, R. S Baltimore, and P. G Gallagher
Case-control analysis of endemic Serratia marcescens bacteremia in a neonatal intensive care unit
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., March 1, 2007; 92(2): F120 - F126.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Obstet GynecolHome page
M. K. Whiteman, E. Kuklina, S. D. Hillis, D. J. Jamieson, S. F. Meikle, S. F. Posner, and P. A. Marchbanks
Incidence and Determinants of Peripartum Hysterectomy
Obstet. Gynecol., December 1, 2006; 108(6): 1486 - 1492.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NeoReviewsHome page
L. Romantseva and M. E Msall
Advances in Understanding Cerebral Palsy Syndromes After Prematurity
NeoReviews, November 1, 2006; 7(11): e575 - e585.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JAMAHome page
C. D. DeAngelis and J. W. Zylke
Theme Issue on Chronic Diseases in Infants, Children, and Young Adults: Call for Papers.
JAMA, October 11, 2006; 296(14): 1780 - 1780.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JAMAHome page
M. E. Msall
Complexity of the Cerebral Palsy Syndromes: Toward a Developmental Neuroscience Approach
JAMA, October 4, 2006; 296(13): 1650 - 1652.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
R. E. K. Stein, M. J. Siegel, and L. J. Bauman
Are Children of Moderately Low Birth Weight at Increased Risk for Poor Health? A New Look at an Old Question
Pediatrics, July 1, 2006; 118(1): 217 - 223.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]