Overview
These tables provide “snapshots” of aggregate birth and death statistics for New Jersey residents by county of residence. They reflect the births and deaths that occurred in 2000. Because of random variation, any particular year may have results which are higher or lower than usual. Therefore, all numbers should be interpreted with respect to the prevailing birth and death trends in each county. This is especially important in cases where the numbers are small (i.e., < 20).

Data Sources
Birth, death, and fetal death certificates filed for events occurring to New Jersey residents in 2000 were used. Bridged-race population estimates provided by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in cooperation with the U.S. Census Bureau were used as denominators for the calculation of rates.

Race/Ethnicity
A race group (White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, Asian Indian, Korean, Samoan, Vietnamese, Guamian, other Asian/Pacific Islander, other race, and an unknown race category) and an ethnicity (Non-Hispanic, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, other Hispanic, and an unknown ethnicity category) are reported for each individual for whom a birth, death, or fetal death record is filed. The race and ethnicity of an infant are not reported on the birth or fetal death certificate and are classified for statistical purposes as the race and ethnicity of the mother.

Race and ethnicity are believed to be well classified on certificates of births and fetal deaths. Statistics on infant deaths are derived from a file that contains each infant’s birth record matched to its death record. Therefore, maternal race and ethnicity are available from the birth certificate portion. There is evidence, however, that race information on death certificates is misclassified to a certain degree and particularly affects decedents not classified as white or black. There is also evidence that Hispanic ethnicity is misclassified on death certificates. Therefore, we are able to present reliable birth, fetal death, and infant death data by race and ethnicity of the mother, however, due to the unreliability of the race and ethnicity information on death certificates, we only present non-fetal and non-infant death data for whites and blacks.

Small Numbers
Caution should be exercise when interpreting percentages and rates based on small numbers (i.e., a numerator or denominator < 20). Age-adjusted rates based on fewer than 20 deaths have not been calculated, but birth percentages, infant mortality rates, fetal death rates, crude death rates, and age-specific death rates based on fewer than 20 observations are included in the tables.

Leading Causes of Death
All causes of death listed are the leading causes of death statewide among residents of all races and ethnicities. These may not necessarily be the leading causes for a specific county or for a specific race or ethnicity.

Definitions
Births
Live Birth: the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

Birth Rate: the number of resident live births per 1,000 population.

Teen Birth Rate: the number of resident live births to mothers aged 15-17 per 1,000 female population aged 15-17 years old.

Unmarried: the marital status of the mother is determined by the response to the birth certificate item, "Mother married? (At birth, conception, or any time between)".

First Trimester of Pregnancy: the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Premature: birth after gestation of fewer than 37 weeks.

Gestation: duration of the pregnancy based on a clinical estimate.

Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use during Pregnancy: use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs is self-reported by the mother.

Birth Weight: the first weight of the fetus or newborn obtained after delivery.

Low Birth Weight: birth weight of less than 2,500 grams or approximately 5 pounds, 8 ounces.

Very Low Birth Weight: birth weight of less than 1,500 grams or approximately 3 pounds, 5 ounces.

Infant Deaths
Infant Death: death of a live-born child within the first year of life.

Infant Mortality Rate: the ratio of the number of deaths to children less than one year of age in a given year per 1,000 births in the same year.

Leading Causes of Infant Death: based on NCHS’s List of 130 Selected Causes of Infant Death and coded according to the “International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision” (ICD-10), sponsored by the World Health Organization.

Congenital Malformations: congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (ICD-10 codes Q00-Q99). Includes anencephaly and similar malformations; congenital hydrocephalus; spina bifida; other congenital malformations of the nervous system; congenital malformations of the heart; other congenital malformations of the circulatory system; congenital malformations of respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems; congenital malformations and deformations of musculoskeletal system, limbs, and integument; Down’s syndrome; Edward’s syndrome; Patau’s syndrome; other congenital malformations and deformations; and other chromosomal abnormalities.

Short Gestation/Low Birth Weight: disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight (ICD-10 code P07). Includes extremely low birth weight or extreme prematurity and other low birth weight or preterm.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): ICD-10 code R95.

Fetal Deaths
Fetal Death: death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception; the fetus shows no signs of life such as breathing or beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. Fetal deaths are also referred to as stillbirths, miscarriages, or spontaneous abortions. By law, all spontaneous fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation require the filing of a fetal death certificate. Reporting of induced abortions and fetal deaths prior to 20 weeks gestation is not required, therefore only spontaneous fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation are reported here.

Fetal Death Rate: the ratio of the number of fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks of gestation in the same year.

Leading Causes of Fetal Death: based on NCHS’s List of 124 Selected Causes of Fetal Death and coded according to the “International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision” (ICD-10), sponsored by the World Health Organization.

Complications of Placenta, Cord, and Membranes: fetus affected by complications of placenta, cord, and membranes (ICD-10 code P02). Includes fetus affected by placenta previa, other forms of placental separation and hemorrhage, other and unspecified morphological and functional abnormalities of placenta, placental transfusion syndromes, prolapsed cord, other compression of umbilical cord, other and unspecified conditions of umbilical cord, chorioamnionitis, and other and unspecified abnormalities of membranes.

Fetal Death of Unspecified Cause: ICD-10 code P95.

Maternal Complications of Pregnancy: fetus affected by maternal complications of pregnancy (ICD-10 code P01). Includes fetus affected by incompetent cervix, premature rupture of membranes, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, ectopic pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, maternal death, malpresentation before labor, and other and unspecified maternal complications of pregnancy.

Deaths
Crude Death Rate: the number of resident deaths per 100,000 population.

Age-Adjusted Death Rate: Direct Method-the elimination of the effect of age on the crude death rates for purposes of comparison with other rates by applying actual age-specific rates to a standard population. The resulting death rate in the standard population is age-adjusted and can be compared to other death rates age-adjusted to the same standard population. The standard population used in this report is the U.S. 2000 standard million, derived from the projection of counts from the 2000 decennial census. The 1996 and 1998 County Health Profiles used the U.S. 1940 standard million for age-adjustment, therefore age-adjusted rates are not comparable between the two standards. Age-adjusted rates are presented per 100,000 population.

Age-Specific Death Rate: the number of resident deaths in a specific age group per 100,000 population in the age group.

Leading Causes of Death: based on NCHS’s List of 113 Selected Causes of Death and coded according to the “International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision” (ICD-10), sponsored by the World Health Organization.

Heart Disease: diseases of the heart (ICD-10 codes I00-I09, I11, I13, I20-I51). Includes acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart diseases, hypertensive heart disease, hypertensive heart and renal disease, acute myocardial infarction, other acute ischemic heart diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, all other forms of chronic ischemic heart disease, acute and subacute endocarditis, diseases of pericardium and acute myocarditis, heart failure, and all other forms of heart disease.

Cancer: malignant neoplasms (ICD-10 codes C00-C97).

Stroke: cerebrovascular diseases (ICD-10 codes I60-I69).

Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (CLRD): includes bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and other chronic lower respiratory diseases (ICD-10 codes J40-J47).

Diabetes: diabetes mellitus (ICD-10 codes E10-E14).

Unintentional Injuries: accidents (ICD-10 codes V01-X59, Y85-Y86). Includes motor vehicle accidents; other and unspecified transport accidents and their sequelae; falls; accidental discharge of firearms; accidental drowning and submersion; accidental exposure to smoke, fire, and flames; accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious substances; and other and unspecified nontransport accidents and their sequelae.

View/download all 2000 county health profile tables: Excel PDF Go to Health Statistics 2000 for state-level data Go to municipality-level data Go to Department of Labor State Data Center Web Site for demographic data (Census 2000 and 1990, annual population and household estimates), economic data, and data projections