New birth stats for Massachusetts

The 2007 data on births in Massachusetts is available. It is a really interesting read to look at c-section rates for each hospital.

Here are some highlights:

• In 2007, for the first time since 1998, the cesarean delivery rate did not increase significantly from the previous year.  The rate in 2007 was 33.7%, compared with the 2006 rate of  33.4%. 

• The percentage of mothers who had their prenatal care paid by public programs continues to increase.  Between 2006 and 2007, it increased by 4%, from 34.2% in 2006 to 35.5% in 2007.  For white mothers, it increased by 7% (24.4% vs. 22.9%).

• Disparities in birth outcomes by race, ethnicity, education, and community persist.

• Homebirths increased from 337 to 373 from 2006 to 2007, which is a 10% increase, but home births totaled .5% of all 2007 births.