Births in the United States, 2013

Childbearing is on the decline in the United States overall and among women under age 30 and women in each of the largest race and Hispanic origin groups. Childbearing continues to rise among older women, however, with rates for women aged 35 and over at the highest levels seen in approximately 50 years. After more than a decade of steady rises, cesarean delivery rates are trending slightly downward; a recent report revealed larger declines for 2009-2013 among women at low risk for cesarean delivery than for all women with cesareans. Following several years of relative stability, twinning rates were up for 2013; a recent report based on 2012 data revealed that triplet and higher-order multiple births have been trending sharply downward. Declines in the incidence of preterm deliveries, especially in conjunction with reductions in low birthweight (albeit modest) and in perinatal mortality, suggest some recent progress in improving pregnancy outcome in the United States. The forthcoming report "Births: Final Data for 2013" will present more information on the topics addressed in this report and selected others.