Available Birth and Fetal Death Variables

The table below lists variables found on two different types of birth data files: Birth Cohort and Birth Statistical Master. Also displayed in the table below are the variables found on the Fetal Death Statistical Master File. Not all variables listed are available for all years, particularly older years. The coding of variables may also change over time. For more information about specific variables, please contact the Health Information and Research Section.

Variable	Birth Cohort	Birth Statistical Master	Fetal Death Statistical Master
Abnormal Conditions	X	X	X
Age of Decedent	X
Age of Father	X	X	X
Age of Mother	X	X	X
Amendment Type	X
Autopsy Performed on Decedent	X		X
Biopsy Performed on Decedent	X
Birth Local Registrar's Number (1)	X	X
Birth Local Registration District	X	X
Birth Order	X	X	X
Birth State File Number (1)	X	X
Birthplace of Mother	X	X	X
Birthweight (In Grams)	X	X	X
Census Place Mother’s Residence	X	X	X
Census Tract of Mother’s Residence (2)		X
Complication of Labor/Delivery	X	X	X
Complication of Pregnancy	X	X	X
County of Birth/Delivery	X	X	X
Date of Birth/Delivery	X	X	X
Date of Birth Registration	X	X
Date of Child's Death	X	X
Date of Decedent’s Death	X		X
Date of Fetal Death Registration			X
Date of Last Live Birth	X	X	X
Date of Last Menses	X	X	X
Date of Last Termination	X	X	X
Death in Hospital	X
Death Local Registrar’s Number (1)	X
Death Local Registration District	X
Death Reported To Coroner	X		X
Death State File Number (1)	X
Expected Principal Source of Payment for Delivery	X	X	X
Father's Date of Birth	X	X
Father's Multi-Race Code (3)		X
Father's Years of Education	X	X	X
Fetal Death State File Number			X
Fetal Death Local Registrar’s Number (1)			X
Fetal Death Local Registration District			X
First Name of Child (1)	X	X	X
Group Cause of Death (4)	X
Hispanic Origin Code of Father	X	X	X
Hispanic Origin Code of Mother	X	X	X
Hispanic Origin of Decedent	X
Hospital Ownership Code			X
Hour of Birth/Delivery	X	X	X
Infant Group Cause of Death (4)	X
Last Name of Child (1)	X	X	X
Last Name of Father (1)	X	X	X
Length of Gestation (In Days)	X	X	X
Live Births Now Deceased	X	X	X
Live Births Now Living	X	X	X
Maternity Hospital Code	X	X	X
Method of Delivery This Birth	X	X	X
Middle Name of Child (1)	X	X	X
Month Prenatal Care Began	X	X
Mother's Date of Birth	X	X	X
Mother's First Name (1)	X	X	X
Mother’s Maiden Name (Birth Surname) (1)	X	X	X
Mother's Multi-Race Code (3)		X
Mother's Place of Residence	X	X	X
Mother’s Residential Address (1)		X
Mother's Residential Zip Code	X	X	X
Mother's Years of Education	X	X	X
Multiple Conditions of Death			X
Number of Prenatal Care Visits	X	X
Operation Performed	X
Place of Decedent’s Residence	X
Place Where Death Occurred	X
Planned Birthplace	X	X
Principal Source of Payment for Prenatal Care	X	X	X
Race-Ethnicity of Decedent	X
Race-Ethnicity of Father	X	X	X
Race-Ethnicity of Mother	X	X	X
Sex of Child	X	X	X
State of Residence of Mother	X	X
Terminations 20 Weeks Plus	X	X	X
Terminations Before 20 Weeks	X	X	X
Total Children Born Alive	X	X	X
Total Children Ever Born	X	X	X
Type of Birth	X	X	X
Type of Certifier of Birth	X	X
Type of Certifier of Death	X		X
Type of Event	X	X
Type of Facility Where Decedent Died	X		X
Underlying Cause of Death (4)	X		X
Year of Event	X	X

Footnotes

These variables are personal identifiers and are considered confidential. Researchers must obtain CPHS and VSAC approvals in order to access these variables.
Census Tract is not consistently collected. Some Local Registration Districts code it, while others do not.
Multiple race fields are available on the birth data files as of 2000.
International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes have changed over time. Data files from 1999 onward are coded with ICD-10th Revision. Files from 1989 through 1998 are coded using ICD-9th Revision.