Live Births 2000
Live Birth Highlights
Recent Trend in Key Indicators Period Delaware U.S. Delaware
* Births
• Births per 1,000 females 15-44 years of age 1996-2000 61.2 65.8 About the Same (See Tables C-6 to C-8)
Teen Births
• Births per 1,000 females 15-19 years of age 1996-2000 50.7 51.0 Decreasing (See Table C-5)
• Births per 1,000 females 15-17 years of age 1996-2000 33.8 30.4 Decreasing (See Table C-5)
• Births per 1,000 females 18-19 years of age 1996-2000 72.6 81.9 About the Same (See Table C-5)
Single Moms
• Percentage of births to single mothers 1996-2000 37.1 32.8 Increasing (See Tables C-17 to C-20)
Low Birth Weight
• Percentage of births weighing less than 2500 gms 1996-2000 8.6 7.5 Increasing (See Tables C-37 to C-40)
Very Low Birth Weight
• Percentage of births weighing less than 1500 gms 1996-2000 1.9 1.4 Increasing (See Tables C-41 to C-44)
Prenatal Care
• Percentage of births to mothers receiving first prenatal visit in the first trimester 1996-2000 83.1 80.5 Increasing (See Tables C-49 to C-52)
* Trend over last 3 to 4 time periods.
Key Facts
• Medicaid paid for 35.2% of all deliveries in 2000 compared to 33.2% in 1999 (see Table C-71) .
• There were 11,046 births to Delaware residents in 2000 (see Table C-1) .
• The percent of mothers receiving their first prenatal visit in the first trimester was highest in New Castle County (88.7%) and lowest in Kent County (69.4%) (See Table C-49).
• Teen birth rates (15-19 years of age) were highest in Sussex County (73.8) and lowest in New Castle County (44.1) in 1996-2000 (see Table C-5).
• The c-section rate in 2000 (24.8%) increased slightly from the 1999 rate of 23.0%(see Table C- 75) .
Printed copies of the graph and charts can by obtained by contacting: 
Delaware Division of Public Health
Delaware Health Statistics Center
PO Box 637
Dover, Delaware 19903
(302) 744-4700