Resource Library
Author: ElleAnalise
This report presents preliminary 2014 data on U.S. births. Births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented.
Selected Highlights:
- The preliminary birth rate for teenagers in 2014 was 24.2 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19—yet another historic low for the nation. The rate was down 9% from 2013 (26.5) and has declined more than 7% annually since 2007.
- In 2014, the overall cesarean delivery rate was 32.2%, a 2% decline from 32.7% in 2013. After peaking in 2009 at 32.9%, the rate remained stable for 2010–2012. The 2014 preliminary rate is the lowest since 2007.
- The 2014 preterm birth rate (based on the obstetric estimate of gestation, as described in the Introduction) was 9.57%, down slightly from 9.62% in 2013. Preterm birth rates declined in 44 states and the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2014; the rates for 6 states (Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas,Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota) did not change significantly over this period.
- The 2014 U.S. low birthweight (LBW) rate was 8.00%, essentially unchanged from 2013 (8.02%).