Environmental Public Health Tracking: Birth Outcomes Data

Birth outcomes, also called reproductive health outcomes or reproductive outcomes, include:

• Birth defects
• Developmental disorders
• Fetal growth restriction
• Low birth weight
• Preterm birth

We track data on various measures of birth outcomes to explore changes in outcomes over time and place. Studying these trends may provide clues about how environmental factors affect birth outcomes.

Exposure to chemicals in the environment can affect the growth and development of babies before and after they are born. Environmental toxins may contribute to low birth weights, preterm birth, and conditions that may result in admission to a NICU. While the effects of some environmental exposures are known, many questions remain unanswered.

We present data from the statistical resident birth and death files maintained by the Wisconsin Vital Records Office of the Office of Health Informatics (OHI) at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

OHI also provides reproductive outcomes data on the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) database and in statistical reports.

Suggested citation for these data: Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Health Informatics. Wisconsin Vital Records Data Dashboard, https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/stats/births/birth-outcomes.htm. Birth Outcomes Dashboard, accessed MM/DD/YYYY.

The three measures we track on this page are prematurity, low birth weight, and neonatal intensive care (NICU) admissions. You can also find infant mortality data , information on pregnancy characteristics, and birth defects data on our web site.

• Wisconsin Vital Records has cooperative exchange procedures in place to get data on Wisconsin residents born in other states. However, it is possible not all other states have provided complete information at the time the data were provided. The numbers of omitted births are likely quite small and probably have limited impact on the measures used on the dashboard.
• Keep in mind that many factors beyond the environment contribute to birth outcomes. These factors should be considered when interpreting the data. Factors include:
  • Demographics (race, gender, age)
  • Socioeconomic status (income level, education)
  • Geography (rural, urban)
  • Changes in the medical field (diagnosis patterns, reporting requirements)
  • Individual behavior (diet, alcohol use, smoking)

• Wisconsin Department of Health Services – Births and Infant Deaths
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services Office of Vital Records.
• CDC – Reproductive Health
• CDC – Maternal and Infant Health
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – Reproductive Health
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services – Children and the Environment

Low birthweight (<2,500 Grams)

Percent of live term births

This measure includes the number of live births at term (≤ 37 weeks of gestation) with a birthweight less than 2,500 grams divided by the total number of live births. Low birthweight is expressed as a percentage of all live births. Gestational age is determined by an algorithm that uses the clinician's estimate of gestational age and the mother's last reported normal menses.

Preterm (37 weeks gestation)

Percent of live births

This measure includes the number of live births before 37 weeks of gestation divided by the total number of live births. Prematurity is expressed as a percentage of all live births. Gestational age is determined by an algorithm that uses the clinician's estimate of gestational age and the mother's last reported normal menses.