United States Birth Statistics

Compiled by Marsden Wagner, MD, Consultant for World Health Organization. Reprinted in "Baby Catcher" by Peggy Vincent with permission of Dr. Marsden Wagner, April 2001.

1.     Percent of countries providing universal prenatal care that have lower infant mortality rates than the  US: 100%

2.     Percent of US births attended by midwifes: 4%

3.     Percent of European births attended by midwifes: 75%

4.     Number of European countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) with higher perinatal mortality rates that the US: 0

5.     Average cost of midwife-attended birth in the US: $1,200

6.     Average cost of physician-attended birth in the US: $4,200

7.     Health care cost savings if midwifery care were utilized for 75% of US births: $8.5 billion/year.

8.     Health care cost savings by bringing US cesarean section rate into compliance with WHO recommendations: $1.5 billion/ year.

9.     Health care cost savings by extending midwifery care and demedicalizing births in the US: $13 - 20 billion/year.