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This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. News Release
NEW BIRTH REPORT SHOWS MORE MOMS GET PRENATAL CAREA new HHS report released today shows a significant increase in the number of women receiving prenatal care -- especially among Hispanic and black women. The report shows that 83 percent of women received timely (in the first trimester) prenatal care in 2001, up from 76 percent in 1990. In addition, only 1 percent of women did not receive any prenatal care in 2001. During this time period, timely prenatal care increased among all race and ethnic groups, but was particularly evident among Hispanic and black women. "We're continuing to make excellent progress in our efforts to have more women, particularly minority women, receive early prenatal care," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "Timely prenatal care is one of the best ways to ensure the health of mothers and their infants, and we will continue working to expand access to this essential care for all Americans." The report, "Births: Final Data for 2001," prepared by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that the percentage of Hispanic women who did not receive any prenatal care fell from 4.0 percent to 1.6 percent between 1990 and 2001, and the percentage of non-Hispanic black women who did not receive any prenatal care fell from 4.7 percent to 2.3 percent during the same time period. "Good prenatal care protects a women's health not only during pregnancy but encourages good health habits -- such as not smoking -- which have life-long health benefits," CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said. The report, based on birth certificates filed in state vital statistics offices and reported to CDC, tracks many other important indicators of maternal and infant health and contains other positive findings. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy continued to decline, to 12 percent in 2001, compared to 20 percent in 1989, when smoking was first reported on the birth certificate. The teen birth rate declined for the 10th consecutive year in 2001, as first reported in preliminary data released earlier this year. Over the past decade, the decline was particularly significant for young teens, those 15-17 years of age, with the birth rate down by more than a third. For young black teens, the birth rate declined by nearly half. The report also found that the percentage of infants born prematurely (at less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) rose to nearly 12 percent (11.9), its highest level in at least two decades. The rate of low birth weight climbed to 7.7 percent in 2001, up 13 percent from the mid-1980s. Some of the increase in low birth weight and preterm birth can be attributed to the rise in multiple births experienced over the past decade. Changes in obstetrical practice, such as greater reliance on induced labor and other efforts to safely manage delivery, may also be playing a role. Other significant findings from the report include:
The report, "Births: Final Data for 2001," can be found on CDC's National Center for Health Statistics web site at ### Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news. Last Revised: December 19, 2002 |