From today's wire

Teens births in Mass. decline while Caesarean sections rise

BOSTON (AP) -- The teen birth rate hit an all-time low in Massachusetts
while the number of Caesarean sections continued to climb, reaching a new
high, according to new birth data released by the state Department of
Public Health on Tuesday. The teen birth rate was 46 percent below the national rate, or 21.7 births per 1,000 for women ages 15-19 years old.

The Caesarean, or C-section, delivery rate was the highest ever reported
in Massachusetts. One out of every three births were C-sections or 32
percent of all births. The C-section rate is 7 percent higher than the U.S.
rate.

The numbers are from 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are
available.

The study also found:

-- The overall number of births in Massachusetts declined by 2 percent
in 2005;

-- The infant mortality rate among black, non-Hispanic women was twice
as high as among white non-Hispanic women (9.4 deaths vs. 4.3 deaths per
1,000 live births;

-- The teen birth rate for Hispanic women was almost six times higher
than for white non-Hispanics (73.2 percent compared to 12.9 percent per
1,000 women ages 15 to 19).

-- The percentage of multiple births remained high. In 1990, 1 out of 38
births was a multiple. In 2005, 1 out of every 22 births was a multiple.