In the first of an ongoing series of webinars, hear about key rural findings from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on teen childbearing and infant mortality and their role as two important indicators of maternal and child health. Although declines in teen births have occurred among both rural and urban areas, disparities in prevalence still exist. Similarly, while there have been historic improvements in infant mortality across the United States in general, higher rates continue to persist among infants born in rural areas.

NCHS Reports

Teen births:

• Teen Birth Rates for Urban and Rural Areas in the United States, 2007–2015

Infant mortality:

• Differences Between Rural and Urban Areas in Mortality Rates for the Leading Causes of Infant Death: United States, 2013–2015
• Infant Mortality Rates in Rural and Urban Areas in the United States, 2014

Featured Speakers

• Amy M. Branum, Ph.D., MSPH, Deputy Associate Director for Science, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., Demographer, Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Danielle M. Ely, Ph.D., Health Statistician, Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NCHS, the Nation's health statistical agency, collects, monitors, and disseminates data on several indicators of maternal and child health, including birth and infant mortality rates, and has made a priority of data reporting by geography, including rural areas, more recently. This webinar is part of CDC's ongoing efforts to highlight its rural efforts.

• PowerPoint handout
• View or download an audio version [MP3]
• Read the webinar transcript