Orange County NC Website
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14 <br />PREGNANCY OUTCOME <br />The birth rate in Orange County in 1988 was 12.7 <br />and 15.0 in forth Carolina. There has been a steady <br />increase in the live birth rate from 1983 -1988 in Orange <br />County. (See Table 8) <br />There has been a pattern of decline and then a <br />steady increase in the rates of premature birth in the <br />county, although this is not so at the state level. <br />Overall, Orange County's rate of premature birth is <br />lower than that of the state. However, nonwhite women <br />in Orange County are more likely to give birth <br />prematurely than nonwhite women in the state (O.C. - <br />13.8; N.0 . - 12.1). (See Table 9) <br />The fetal death rate in Orange County for 1988 was <br />12.3 as compared to 8.9 for the state. Currently the <br />fetal death rate for nonwhite women in the county is <br />over twice that of nonwhite women in the state. (O.C. - <br />30.2; N.C. - 13.4). Although white women in Orange <br />County have rates lower than the state, the total rate <br />for Orange County is higher than that of the state due <br />to the great disparity among nonwhite women at the state <br />and county level. (See Table 10) <br />The 1990 Health Objectives state that no county <br />should have over 12 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. <br />The total rate in 1988 was 10.6 compared to a state rate <br />of 12.6. Despite a steady decline on the county level <br />an increase in infant mortality did occur between 1987 <br />and 1988. This increase has been seen on the state <br />level for the past three years which has been a <br />concern in North Carolina. (See Table 11) growing <br />