National vital statistics reports : from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System
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The life tables in this report are current life tables for the United States based on age-specific death rates in 1997. Beginning with 1997 mortality data, complete U. S. life tables were constructed using a new methodology that replaces the abridged life table methodology used previously. ⋯ In 1997 the overall expectation of life at birth was 76.5 years, an increase of 0.4 years compared with life expectancy in 1996. Life expectancy increased from 1996 to 1997 for each of the four race-sex groups for which life expectancy is reported. Life expectancy increased for black males by 1.1 year (from 66.1 to 67.2), for black females by 0.5 year (from 74.2 to 74.7), for white males by 0.4 year (from 73.9 to 74.3), and for white females by 0.2 year (from 79.7 to 79.9).
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Natl Vital Stat Rep · Dec 1999
Trends in the attendant, place, and timing of births, and in the use of obstetric interventions: United States, 1989-97.
This report presents recent trends in the circumstances surrounding live births in the United States. Specifically, this report will examine the changes in the attendant and place of birth as well as changes in the day and month of birth. Trends in the use of four obstetric procedures (electronic fetal monitoring, ultrasound, induction of labor, and stimulation of labor) are examined as well as trends in cesarean births, vaginal births after a previous cesarean, and births delivered by forceps and vacuum extraction. ⋯ While the vast majority of births in 1997 were attended by physicians, 92 percent, this has declined steadily as the percent of births attended by midwives has slowly increased to account for 7 percent of all births. About 99 percent of births were in hospitals, basically unchanged from 1989, but the percent of out-of-hospital births that were in residences increased whereas those in freestanding birthing centers declined. While births were more common on weekdays than on weekends in 1989, they have become even more concentrated on weekdays since 1989. The most popular months to give birth continue to be July, August, and September. The percent of mothers receiving electronic fetal monitoring, ultrasound, induction, and stimulation all increased over the period with the most dramatic increase being the doubling of the use of induction. Between 1989 and 1996, the rate of cesarean births dropped by 9 percent whereas the rate of vaginal birth after a previous cesarean (VBAC) increased by 50 percent. However, the trends appear to have changed between 1996 and 1997--the cesarean rate increased slightly while the VBAC rate declined by 3 percent. There is wide variation by State in both of these rates. The percent of births that were delivered by forceps consistently declined during the period whereas the use of vacuum extraction consistently increased.