Birthplace and attendants: Oregeon's alternative experience, 1977

In October of 1977 an article entitled "Birthplace Alternatives" appeared in the Oregon State Health Bulletin. This article presented a narrative based on facts taken from the data on birth certificates of all births occurring outside of a hospital in the State of Oregon in 1976. Tabulations were compiled to show where the infants were being born, who was delivering them, the educational level of the parents, and the prenatal care given. Insofar as was possible--from complications listed on the birth certificates, information from matched infant death reports, and full term fetal death reports--the outcome of these deliveries was explored. Due to the tremendous response to that article, this update of 1977 data on out-of-hospital births was prepared.