Data are from certificates and reports filed with the Center for Health Statistics (CHS) in the Alabama Department of Public Health according to Alabama Vital Statistics Laws. The State Registrar of Vital Records enforces the laws and administers the system of vital statistics. Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates and fetal death and induced termination of pregnancy reports provide most of the information reported or tabulated. The statewide data for Alabama are also sent to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for inclusion in national reports and tabulations.
If a birth occurs in a hospital, the birth certificate is filed by that institution with the CHS. Information on a birth certificate is obtained from a parent and from medical files for the mother and infant. Nearly 99 percent of the hospitals in Alabama use a birth certificate software package provided by the CHS to prepare birth certificates and electronically transmit data to CHS. If a birth occurs outside of a facility, the birth certificate is filed by the parent or someone else aware of the facts of birth. Formal testing of completeness of birth has not been done since 1950 when birth registration completeness for births occurring in hospitals was 99.6 percent. Since that time, additional checks have been added to ensure that all births are filed. Also, since the legal requirements for certified copies of births have increased, nearly 100 percent of all births are filed with CHS.
Sources and Completeness of:
Induced Terminations of Pregnancy Data