Maternal and Child Health Status Indicator Definitions
(ordered by their sequence in the printed reports)

Deliveries : The number of Florida resident women who delivered a live newborn during a calendar year. The total number of births during the delivery is not reflected in the number of deliveries as multiple births are counted as one delivery.

Preterm Delivery : Delivery occurs between 20 to 36 completed weeks gestation when all fetal organs are present but not fully mature and functional outside the mother’s womb.

First Trimester Entry Into Prenatal Care : Prenatal care begins within the first three months of pregnancy.

Inadequate Prenatal Care : Prenatal care begins at fifth month of pregnancy or later, or the pregnant woman receives less than 50% of the recommended number of prenatal care visits, adjusted for delivered infant’s gestational age.

Healthy Start Prenatal Screen: A questionnaire that identifies medical, obstetric or socio-demographic risk factors present in a pregnant woman to determine if she should be referred for services beyond normal prenatal care that will enhance the likelihood of the birth of a healthy infant.

Smoking During Pregnancy: Women who report using tobacco or smoking one or more cigarettes per day during pregnancy.

Prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI): Calculated by the woman’s height and weight prior to pregnancy. There are four BMI classifications: Underweight, Normal, Overweight, and Obese.

Adolescent Delivery: Deliveries born to Florida residents who were less than or equal to eighteen years of age.

Vaginal Delivery without Physical Complications : Passage of the fetus and placenta from the birth canal into the external world without any physical complications.

Vaginal Delivery with Physical Complications: Expulsion or extraction of the fetus through the birth canal accompanied by morbid processes such as premature rupture of the membranes, prolonged or precipitous labor, meconium staining, etc.

Cesarean Section : A delivery that requires a surgical incision in the wall of the abdomen and uterus of a pregnant woman so that the infant does not have to pass through the birth canal.

WIC Participation : Low-income pregnant women who participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC provides foods to supplement diets, nutrition education, and referrals to health care and social services.

Interpregnancy Interval: The number of months between termination of a previous pregnancy (live born or fetal death, stillborn, spontaneous or elective abortion) and estimated date of next conception.

Births : The number of infants born in Florida during a calendar year. The total number of births during delivery, including multiple births, is counted.

Low Birth Weight : An infant who weighs less than 2500 grams (5 lbs. 8 oz.) at birth.

Very Low Birth Weight : An infant who weighs less than less than 1500 grams (3 lbs. 5 oz.) at birth.

Term Low Birth Weight: An infant who is delivered at the termination of a normal pregnancy (37 to 40 weeks) and who weighs less than 2500 grams.

Preterm Low Birth Weight : An infant who is delivered before the termination of a normal pregnancy (37 to 40 weeks) and who weighs less than 2500 grams.

Mother Plans to Breastfeed : Information about mother’s intention to breastfeed is routinely collected prior to delivery. Many factors may intervene post partum which affect whether a mother breastfeeds her infant. These include difficulty in milk production, infant’s sucking capacity, prolonged recuperation from C-section, etc. Thus, the actual rate of infants being breastfed in Florida postpartum is likely to be considerably less than that recorded on the birth certificate.

Healthy Start Infant Screen: A questionnaire that identifies physical, socioeconomic, or maternal psychosocial factors, which potentially may cause future health problems, impair development, and are associated with infant mortality. Infants who are screened at risk are referred to early intervention programs and services.

Infant Mortality Rate : The number of infants per 1,000 live births who die within the first year after birth. This infant mortality rate (IMR) is different from that reported by the Florida Department of Health. IMR in this report refers to a death occurring within one calendar year to any child born within a calendar year. This method provides an estimate of mortality risk for a given birth cohort. The Department of Health's IMR refers to all deaths occurring in a given calendar year to children under one year of age regardless of the year the child was born.

Neonatal Mortality Rate: The number of infants per thousand live births who die within the first 28 days after birth.

Post-Neonatal Mortality Rate: The number of infants per thousand live births who die between 28 days and 364 days after birth.