Revised U.S. certificate of birth--new opportunities for research on birth outcome.

The 1989 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth includes a number of new items on medical and life-style risk factors of pregnancy and birth, obstetric procedures performed, method of delivery, abnormal conditions and congenital anomalies of the infant, expanded information on birth attendant and place of birth, and questions on the Hispanic origin of the parents. This major enhancement of medical and health data available on mothers and infants can greatly expand the scope of research on pregnancy outcome in the United States.