Report Provides Birth Statistics Trends for States and Largest U.S. Cities

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Data from all the states and 50 of the largest U.S. cities suggest that between 1990 and 1998 newborns' well-being improved in some areas but not in others, according to two reports published jointly by Child Trends and KIDS COUNT. One report looks at trends in health indicators for newborns across the states, and the other looks at trends in large cities.

• The percentage of repeat teenage births, total births to mothers with low education (less than grade 12), total births to mothers with little or no prenatal care, and total births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy decreased; and



• The percentage of total births to teenagers, total births to unmarried women, low-birthweight births, and preterm births remained the same or increased.

• The percentage of total births to mothers with low education, total births to mothers receiving late or no prenatal care, and total births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy decreased; and



• The percentage of total births to teenagers, total births to unmarried women, low-birthweight births, and preterm births remained the same or increased.

According to the authors of the report on the states, preterm and low-birthweight infants, as well as infants born to mothers who are teenagers, have low education, receive little or no prenatal care, or smoke during pregnancy have relatively poor health outcomes. In a press release on the reports, Richard Wertheimer of Child Trends states that "conditions at birth often reflect the forces that will shape a young person's life, and children in America's larger cities still face increased risks." The authors of the report on the states conclude that "improving birth outcomes and changing the circumstances of pregnancy require a mix of effective public policies, improved services, and responsible personal choices."

Child Trends and KIDS COUNT. 2001. The Right Start State Trends: Conditions of Babies and Their Families Across the Nation (1990-1998). Washington, DC: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Report available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/rightstart2/docs/rightstart.htm.

Child Trends and KIDS COUNT. 2001. The Right Start City Trends: Conditions of Babies and Their Families in America's Largest Cities (1990-1998). Washington, DC: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Report available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/rightstart2/docs/rightstart.htm.

Child Trends. A decade of trends in birth statistics show some improvements in big cities, even as urban America continues to lag behind national averages. 2001, February 20. Press release available at http://www.childtrends.org/rightstart.asp.

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MCH Alert. 2001. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. http://www.ncemch.org/alert.