Alaska moms gave birth to 10,092 babies last year

OLIVIA WAS TOP NAME FOR GIRLS, OLIVER WAS TOP FOR BOYS

The Alaska Division of Public Health’s Vital Records Section published its annual report on Alaska’s vital statistics, and came up with these facts for 2018:

• Alaska resident mothers gave birth to 10,092 babies.
• Births delivered by cesarean section made up 22.4 percent of all births. Cesarean sections were highest among Black/African American mothers, at 27.3 percent.
• 5.9 percent of births were low weight. Low weight births were highest among Black/African American mothers, at 10.4 percent.
• Premature babies — before the 37th week of gestation — made up 10.7 percent of all births. Preterm births were highest among Black/African American mothers, at 15.0 percent 
• August had the largest number of births by month (934).
• The most popular girl’s name was Olivia.
• The most popular boy’s name was Oliver.

• The mean age of mothers was 28.6 years old,
• The mean age of fathers was 31.3 years.
• Teenage mothers (aged 15-19) gave birth to 422 babies.
• The youngest mother was 14 years old, while the oldest was 49.
• The youngest father was 15 years old, while the oldest was 71.
• There were 4,461 deaths.
• Malignant neoplasms (cancers) were the leading cause of death.
• November had the largest number of deaths by month (404)
• .The oldest male decedent was 102 years old.
• The oldest female decedent was 105 years old.
• The mean and median age of death for males was 64.2 and 67.0 years, respectively.
• The mean and median age of death for females was 69.3 and 73.0 years, respectively.

Read the rest of the report at this link.

• The were 4,940 marriages, and 2,759 separations.
• July had the largest number of marriages by month (721).
• January had the smallest number of marriages by month (236).
• August had the largest number of separations by month (271).
• February had the smallest number of separations by month (199).