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Births: Other Data for 2004 The source for the data on U.S. births, birth rates, and fertility rates in this section is the National Vital Statistics Reports series published by the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report issued on Dec. 29, 2005, showing preliminary birth data for 2004 also highlighted these findings: Births in the United States increased nearly 1% in 2004, to 4,115,590 from 4,089,950 in 2003. Births increased for Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander (API), and American Indian mothers, remained essentially unchanged for non-Hispanic black mothers, and decreased for non-Hispanic white mothers. The birth rate fell to 14.0 births per 1,000 people in 2004, down from 14.1 in 2003. The rate has generally trended downward; the recent high point for the rate, 16.7, was set in 1990. The fertility rate rose to 66.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 in 2004, up from 66.1 in 2002. The birth rate for teenagers reached another record low in 2004, falling 1% to 41.2 births per 1,000 women ages 15–19 years, a record low for the nation. Rates fell 2–3% for non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black teenagers, and were unchanged for other groups. The birth rate for women ages 10–14 increased to 0.7 births per 1,000 women in that age bracket from 0.6 in 2003. This was still far lower from the 1.4 rate of 1991. The birth rate for women 20–24 years declined 1% to 101.8 per 1,000, the lowest rate yet recorded. The rate for women 25–29 years held steady at 115.5. The birthrate for women aged 30–34 years increased less than 1% to 95.5 births per 1,000 women. The rate rose 4% for women aged 35–39 years, between 2003 and 2004, and 3% for women aged 40–44 years. The rate for women aged 45–49 years increased slightly, to 0.6. Unmarried childbearing increased 4% in 2004, to a new high of 1,470,152, compared with 1,415,995 in 2003. 82.6% of births to teenagers, more than half of births to women in their early twenties, and 35.7% of births overall were to unmarried women in 2004, with the percentages increasing in every age, race, and Hispanic subgroup. The birth rate increased 3%, from 43.7 to 44.9 per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15–44 years, while the population grew about 1%. Tobacco use during pregnancy decreased in 2004 to 10.2%, compared with 10.4% in 2003. This continues a steady decline from 19.5% in 1989. Infant health can be seriously compromised by prenatal smoking. The cesarean delivery rate increased 6% to 29.1% of all births from 2003 to 2004, the highest rate ever reported in the United States. The cesarean rate fell between 1989 and 1996 but has risen over 40% since 1996. The escalation in the total cesarean rate is fueled by both the rise in the primary cesarean rate and the steep decline in the rate of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) delivery. The primary rate rose 8% in 2004, from 19.1% to 20.6%, while the rate of VBAC dropped from 10.6% to 9.2%, a 13% decline. The primary rate has climbed 41% and the VBAC rate has plunged 67% since 1996. The preterm birth rate, or percentage of infants born after less than 37 completed weeks of gestation, increased again from 12.3% of all births in 2003 to 12.5% in 2004, or one in every eight live-born infants. The low birthweight rate (percent of infants born at less than 2,500 grams) rose from 7.9% to 8.1%. Preterm and low birthweight levels are up 18% and 16%, respectively, since 1990. The rise in preterm and low birthweight rates is related in part to the growth in the multiple birth rate, but these rates also increased among singleton deliveries. Infants born preterm or low birthweight are at greater risk of morbidity and early death.
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