2003 Louisiana Vital Statistics Report - Louisiana Department of ...

2003 LOUISIANA VITAL STATISTICS REPORT LIVE BIRTHS
INTRODUCTION
LIVE BIRTHS
Live birth is a product of conception that shows any sign of life after delivery, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy. Signs of
life include breathing, heartbeat, pulsation of the umbilical cord, definite movement of voluntary muscles, or any other evidence
of life, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. The terms “live birth” and “birth” are used
interchangeably in this chapter.
Birth certificates serve as legal records of birth and identification. They also provide surveillance data used to monitor fertility
trends, population composition and growth, and patterns in prenatal and postnatal conditions that affect the immediate and
future health of newborns and mothers. Information monitored through birth surveillance includes adequacy of prenatal care,
obstetric procedures, complications during delivery, method of delivery, and infant birthweight. Examination of surveillance data
helps identify mothers and infants at high risk of poor outcomes and enables effective targeting of research, educational efforts,
and services to reduce this risk.
Source of Data: Certificate of Live Birth
The birth section of this report is based on live births that occurred to Louisiana residents during the 2003 calendar year. The
Certificate of Live Birth is the source document for these data. All original birth certificates are routed to the Vital Records
Registry in New Orleans. Birth attendants, usually physicians or licensed midwives are responsible for recording the required
information on birth certificates. Louisiana law requires that the birthing facility or attendant send the original birth record to the
Vital Records Registry within fifteen days of the birth and that the identities of persons included in the birth registry are kept
confidential.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics reported here are for births to Louisiana residents, regardless of the state in which the birth
occurred. The Vital Statistics Cooperative Program, a nationwide system of information interchange among all states and
territories, makes possible the reporting of out-of-state births to Louisiana residents. As a result of the 1991 implementation of
Louisiana’s Electronic Birth Certificate (EBC) program, approximately 85% of all births are reported electronically by the hospital
at which the birth occurred. Matching of infant death certificates with the corresponding birth certificates estimates that birth
registration in Louisiana is approximately 97% complete. (1)
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Louisiana Office of Public Health, State Center for Health Statistics Page 15