1B. NATALITY: MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS ANDNEWBORN?SHEALTH
Figure 1B-13
Percent of Resident Births byMonth, Arizona, 2013
Historically, births in Arizona
have peaked during August and
September, with a monthly
average around 8.3 percent.
(
Figure1B-13
).
Figure 1B-14
Percent of Resident Births byDay of theWeek, Arizona, 2013
On average 233 infants were
born per day in 2013 to Arizona
residents. The daily average of
resident live births in 2013 was
substantially lower on weekends
than on weekdays (
Figure 1B-
14
). Many studies suggest that
weekly, daily, and hourly
variations observed in hospitals
and clinics are not due to a
biological rhythm of labor, but to
increased frequency of obstetric
interventions in the timing of
delivery (induced labors and
elective cesarean deliveries),
making it more aligned with the
work week schedule.
In 2013, only 7.9 percent of
repeat cesarean deliveries
occurred on Sundays, compared
to 16.7 percent onMondays. The
average rate of induction of
labor was substantially lower on
weekend days (10.9 percent)
than it was on week days (15.7
percent).
24
Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics 2013
