Health E-Stat 104: Trends in Early-term Singleton Births in the United States, 2014 to 2023

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by Joyce Martin, M.P.H., and Michelle J.K. Osterman, M.H.S.

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The risk of infant mortality and long-term morbidity is lower for early-term births (births delivered at 37 and 38 weeks) than for infants delivered at shorter gestational ages but is higher than for those delivered later in pregnancy (1–3). Births delivered at 37 weeks are twice as likely as those born at 38 weeks and three times as likely as those born at 39 and 40 weeks to die in the first month of life (4).The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends delivery at 39 weeks or later, but also notes that there are several complications for which early-term delivery is warranted (5). This report presents changes in early-term births from 2014 to 2023 overall and by maternal age, and the percentage of early-term births for which labor was induced.

Among all births, the percentage of infants delivered preterm increased 13% from 2014 to 2023, from 7.74% to 8.71% (Figure 1, Table 1). The percentage of early-term births rose 22% from 2014 to 2023, from 24.31% to 29.64%, with increases of 47% for births at 37 weeks (from 8.17% to 12.05%) and 9% for births at 38 weeks (from 16.13% to 17.58%). In contrast with increases in births delivered at less than 39 weeks from 2014 to 2023, full-term births declined 7% (from 60.76% to 56.68%). Late and post-term births declined by almost one-third, from 7.20% to 4.97%.

Early-term births increased 21% for mothers younger than 30, from 24.22% to 29.30% from 2014 to 2023 with increases of 44% for births at 37 weeks (8.11% to 11.70%) and 9% for births at 38 weeks (16.11% to 17.60%) (Figure 2, Table 2). For mothers age 30 and older, early-term births increased 23% from 2014 to 2023 (from 24.42% to 29.96%), 50% for births at 37 weeks (8.25% to 12.39%), and 9% for births at 38 weeks (16.17% to 17.57%).

The percentage of early-term births for which labor was induced increased 77% from 2014 to 2023, from 17.7% to 31.3% (Figure 3, Table 3). The percentage of births induced at 37 weeks rose 81%, from 20.7% to 37.4%, and the percentage at 38 weeks rose by 68%, from 16.1% to 27.0%.

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Source and methods

This report is based on birth certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data files and includes births in singleton deliveries only. Provisional and final NVSS data may also be accessed through CDC WONDER (6). Gestational age is based on the obstetric estimate of gestation. Preterm is less than 37 completed weeks, early term is 37–38 weeks, full term is 39–40 weeks, and late and post-term is 41 weeks and later. Induction of labor is defined as the initiation of uterine contractions by medical or surgical means for the purpose of delivery before the spontaneous onset of labor (that is, before labor has begun) (7). These data do not differentiate between medically indicated and nonmedically indicated early-term deliveries.

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References

  1. Ely DM, Driscoll AK. Infant mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the period linked birth/infant death file. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2025 Jun;74(7):1–20. DOI:
    https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174592.
  2. Muganthan T, Boyle EM. Early childhood health and morbidity, including respiratory function in late preterm and early term births. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2019 Feb;24(1):48–53. DOI: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.siny.2018.10.007.
  3. Tita ATN, Jablonski KA, Bailit JL, Grobman WA, Wapner RJ, Reddy UM,  et al. Neonatal outcomes of elective early-term births after demonstrated fetal lung maturity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Sep;219(3):296.e1–296.e8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2018.05.011.
  4. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital statistics online data portal. 2023 period/2022 cohort linked birth–infant death data file. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm.
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Obstetric Practice, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Medically indicated late-preterm and early-term deliveries: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 831. Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Jul 1;138(1):e35–e39. DOI: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004447. PMID: 34259491.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC WONDER. natality information: Live births. Available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/natality.html.
  7. National Center for Health Statistics. User guide to the 2023 natality public use file. Available from: https://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/DVS/natality/UserGuide2023.pdf.
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Suggested citation

Martin JA, Osterman MJK. Trends in early-term singleton births in the United States, 2014 to 2023. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2025 Jun;(105):1–6. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174599.

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Figures

Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the percentage of births by gestational age in the United States, 2014 and 2023.
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Figure 2 is a bar chart showing the percentage of early-term births by age of mother in the United States, 2014 and 2023.
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Figure 3 is a bar chart showing the percentage of early-term births for which labor was induced in the United States, 2014 and 2023.
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