Eytons' Earth: Natural & Alternative Medicine

[silver_lover]

Preliminary Births for 2004: Infant and Maternal Health
by Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H.; Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D.; Fay
Menacker, Ph.D.; Paul D. Sutton, Ph.D.; and T.J. Mathews, M.S.,
Division of Vital Statistics

This report from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics
summarizes the 2004 preliminary infant and maternal health
birth data for the United States. It is an e-stat publication
and available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/prelimbirths04/prelimbirths04health.htm

[silver_lover]

Dear Friends,

This morning the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics released
data for 2004 including cesarean section rates: "Preliminary Births for
2004: Infant and Maternal Health." The full report is available free at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/prelim
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/prelimbirths04/preli
mbirths04health.htm> births04/prelimbirths04health.htm

As many of us expected, the reported cesarean section rate for 2004 is
almost 30% across the board, the rate for primary cesarean sections
increased significantly, and rates of VBACs have plummeted to less than
10%. Meanwhile, more babies are being born preterm and low birthweight.

Specifically:

. The Cesarean section rate rose 6% to 29.1% of all births
(highest rate ever reported in the U.S.), an increase of over 40% since
1996. For African American women the cesarean section rate for 2004 was
31%.

. The primary cesarean section rate rose 8% from 2003 rates (to
approximately 21%), an increase of 41% since 1996.

. The VBAC rate has dropped to 9.2%, down 13% from 2003 rates, a
67% decrease since 1996.

In addition, the report notes that

. "More than half a million [12.5%] infants were born preterm in
2004, the highest number reported since comparable national data on
gestational age have been available (1981)." The rate has increased 18%
just since 1990.

. "Infants were also more likely to be born low birthweight
(LBW) (less than 2500 grams) in 2004." The rate is 8.1%, up 16% since
1990.

. "Although recent increases in multiple births, which are at
high risk of being born too early and too small, have strongly
influenced recent upswings in preterm and LBW, rates have also been on
the rise among infants delivered in singleton deliveries."

Citation for quotes: Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Menacker F, Sutton PD,
Mathews T.J. Preliminary births for 2004: Infant and maternal health.
Health E-stats. Released November 15, 2005.

It would be interesting to have preterm and birthweight data associated
with method of delivery, but this report does not include that
information.

It is also interesting to note that the CDC report does not include as
context how the rates for any of these outcome measures compare to those
for any other countries.

You are encouraged to read this report, and compare these outcomes with
those reported in the CPM 2000 study (see Grassroots Network Messages
50612 and 50613, and also CfM's Fact Sheet summarizing the findings
<http://www.cfmidwifery.org/pdf/CPM2000.pdf>
http://www.cfmidwifery.org/pdf/CPM2000.pdf ). Even taking into
consideration that the CDC data cover "all" births and the CPM 2000
study included only births for healthy mothers the differences in the
outcome data are very dramatic.

Sincerely,

Susan Hodges, "gatekeeper"

[silversolutionwmr]

Learn the benefits of natural birth - and how to have a successful birth wherever you give birth.