One in three babies born to unwed mothers in Washington state – CDC

One in three babies born in Washington state in 2007 were born to unwed mothers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Washington state’s proportion of unwed births, 33.2 percent, was less than the national average, 39.7 percent, which was a historic high for the country.

But Washington’s rate was considerably higher than those seen in states with the lowest rates such as Hawaii, 25.5 percent, Colorado (25.4 percent) and Utah (19.9 percent).

The District of Columbia had the highest rate of births to unwed mothers: 58.5%. Among the states, Mississippi led with 53.7 percent.

The percentage of infants being delivered by cesarian section also continued to climb both nationally and in Washington state. Nationally 31.8 percent of babies are now delivered by cesarean section, while in Washington the rate is slightly lower, 29.0 percent.

Alaska and Texas had the lowest cesarian section rates, 22.6 percent for Alaska and 22.2 percent for Texas. New Jersey with a rate of 38.3 percent and Florida with 37.2 percent led the states.

In Puerto Rico, however, nearly half of babies, 49.2 percent, were delivered by cesarian section.

To learn more:

• Read the CDC report: National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 57, No. 12 – March 18, 2009.
• Visit the Washington state Family Planning Program, which has a list of local and national online resources.

Tags: Birth Rates, Cesarian Section

Category: Newborn and Infant Health, Women's Health