Summary

This dashboard provides data on prenatal care, birth delivery methods, and postpartum care for Texas women.

Data Sources

Texas Vital Statistics (VSTAT)
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
CDC Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER)
Texas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

Data Description

DSHS combines different data sources across many years to provide an overview of Texas infant mortality. The data support programs and policymakers monitor trends and make decisions to improve the health of Texas mothers and babies.

Because of rounding, some numbers in figures, graphs, or written results may not add to the total amount. Data and results are based on the most recent data available. The dashboard is updated as new data is available.

Confidence Interval (CI): A confidence interval measures the precision of an estimate, such as a percentage. A CI is a range with an upper and lower number. The true population value is supposed to fall within the range of numbers. A 95% confidence interval means that if 100 intervals were calculated, 95 of the intervals will contain the true population value. Smaller ranges mean the estimate is more precise while larger ranges mean the estimate is less precise.

Public Health Region (PHR): Public health regions serve the public health needs of Texas through direct, essential public health services, local public health agencies support, and public health emergency preparedness and response leadership and coordination.

Race and Ethnicity: Race or ethnicity information shown in the dashboard refers to the mother, not the infant. However, infant death data is based on the infant’s race or ethnicity. Women who identified themselves as Hispanic were classified as Hispanic regardless of race. Women who did not identify as Hispanic were classified as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, or non-Hispanic Other. The non-Hispanic Other category includes women who identified as Native American, Asian, or multiracial.

Regional Advisory Council – Perinatal Care Region (RAC-PCR): RAC-PCRs are administrative bodies responsible for trauma system oversight within each Texas Trauma Service Area. Each of the 22 RACs is tasked with developing, implementing, and monitoring a regional emergency medical service trauma system plan. RAC stakeholders are comprised of healthcare entities and other concerned citizens with an interest in improving and organizing trauma care.

Additional Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2023, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Retrieved from wonder.cdc.gov/natality-expanded-current.html

Healthy People 2030, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Reduce cesarean births among low-risk women with no prior births – MICH-06. Retrieved from health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/pregnancy-and-childbirth/reduce-cesarean-births-among-low-risk-women-no-prior-births-mich-06 [Accessed January 5, 2023]

McKinney, J., Keyser, L., Clinton, S., & Pagliano, C. (2018). ACOG Committee Opinion No. 736: optimizing postpartum care. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 132(3), 784-785.

Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (2019). Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health online, interactive data query estimate suppression and precision alert criteria for the National Survey of Children’s Health. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).