Description/Abstract
Home births that happen without planning or medical support (i.e., unintended home births) carry a higher likelihood of adverse outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and hypothermia. This data slice summarizes findings using data from CDC WONDER (2017–2023) on racial, regional, and metropolitan status differences in home births among women ages 15–44 in the U.S. Findings show that unintended home births are disproportionately concentrated among non-Hispanic Black women, with rates varying substantially by region and metropolitan status.
Document Type
Data Slice
Keywords
Home births, unintended home births, maternal health, women's health
Disciplines
Geography | Maternal and Child Health | Race and Ethnicity | Sociology | Women's Health
Date
4-7-2026
Language
English
Recommended Citation
De La Paz, Anna, "Is Home Birth a Choice? Racial and Geographic Differences in Unintended Home Births in the U.S." (2026). Population Health Research Brief Series. 295.
https://surface.syr.edu/lerner/295
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Geography Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Women's Health Commons
