The number of resident births exceeded 100,000 for the first time in Arizona’s history last year, according to a new report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics report for 2006 said the number of resident births doubled to 102,042 in 2006 from 50,049 in 1980.

In addition, there were 2,830 multiple births in Arizona in 2006, the highest number ever recorded in the state. Twin deliveries increased by 53 percent to 2,688 in 2006 from 1,757 in 1996. The number of triplet and higher order multiple birth events also increased by 44.9 percent to 142 in 2006 from 98 in 1996.

The report is the annual update of information on vital statistics and the health status of Arizona residents. It provides population-wide data on pregnancies, births, abortions, stillbirths, reportable diseases, deaths, marriages, divorces, hospital inpatient discharges, emergency department visits and the population of the state.

Other highlights:

• Between 1980 and 2006, Arizona’s infant mortality rate decreased by 49 percent, from 12.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1980 to 6.3 /1,000 in 2006.
• The survival chances also improved for Arizona's children 1-14 years old (a 50 percent decline in mortality rate in 1980-2006), adolescents 15-19 years old (18 percent lower mortality risk), young adults 20-44 years of age (20 percent decrease in mortality rates), middle-aged adults 45-64 years old (16 percent lower mortality in 2005 compared to 1980), and elderly 65 year old or older (their mortality rate decreased by 8.8 percent in 1980-2006).
• In the near future, cancer will replace diseases of the heart as the leading cause of death. In fact, for the past ten years cancer has already been the number one cause of death among Arizonans aged 0-84 years.
• The pregnancy rate for Arizona teenagers 15 to 17 years old continued to decline to a decade low rate of 39.0/1,000 in 2006. The pregnancy rate among 18 to 19 year olds increased by 11.6% from 103.6/1,000 in 2005 to 115.6/1,000 in 2006. 
• During 2006, almost 1.6 million visits were made by Arizona residents to hospital emergency departments, approximately 26 visits per 100 persons. In 2006, abdominal pain, acute upper respiratory infection, contusion with intact skin surface, open wound, chest pain, spinal disorders and mental disorders were the leading diagnostic categories, accounting for more than one-fourth (25.7 percent) of all visits.

The Health Status and Vital Statistics report is published within 10 months after the focus year to allow the time required for data collection, validation and analysis. The Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics report has been published annually since 1983.

The full report is available electronically at http://www.azdhs.gov/plan/report/ahs/ahs2006/toc06.htm