Acknowledgment of Parentage Forms
Beginning January 1, 2026, new Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage forms need to be used instead of Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity forms. This is necessary to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 163 which was passed during the 2025 legislative session. For more information, see the November newsletter article “Senate Bill 163 Update”. |
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The Center for Health Statistics plans to mail each birth facility an estimated 3-month supply of new English and Spanish forms in mid-December. To order additional forms, use the Request for Vital Records Forms and Tags. The Acknowledgment of Parentage form will change again starting January 1, 2027, for the second phase of implementation for this legislation, so we recommend not ordering more than you will need for 2026.
- On January 1, begin using the new Acknowledgment of Parentage forms.
- After January 1, shred the old forms.
- Old forms may be submitted if you have not yet received your new forms.
- If you have not received your new forms by December 26, or you have any questions about the new Acknowledgment of Parentage, please contact CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov.
Birth Data Entry Clarification and Reminder
The Center for Health Statistics (CHS) sends birth data to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) daily. Accurate birth information is important for tracking public health, identifying health inequities that may exist, and funding programs that impact maternal and infant health outcomes.
CHS will receive reports if any of the data is incomplete or includes errors above an acceptable level. The NCHS recently let us know of three areas that need attention for birth data.
Characteristics of Labor and Delivery: Induction OR Augmentation
Generally multiple boxes may be selected in the LABOR section of the facility worksheet. However, you should only check Induction of labor OR Augmentation of labor. Both options should not be checked. We have added a description “(after labor began)” to Augmentation of labor on the worksheet for additional clarification for when that option should be selected. Here are some general guidelines when which option should be chosen:
- Induction should be selected if medication was given or procedures to induce labor were performed before labor began.
- Augmentation should be selected if medication was given or procedures to induce labor were performed after labor began.
- If the child was born naturally with no interventions, neither box should be selected.
Important: The determination of when labor began is the responsibility of the licensed birth attendant. If you are not sure when labor began in relation to the medication or procedures that were received by the patient, contact the birth attendant for clarification.
Method of Delivery in Relation to Epidural or Spinal Anesthesia During Labor
The selection for Epidural or spinal anesthesia during labor should only be checked WITH a cesarean birth IF there was a Trial of Labor Attempted. We have added a description “(If “No” is selected, do not check Epidural or spinal anesthesia in the LABOR section.)” to the Trial of Labor Attempted line on the worksheet for additional clarity.
See the below image to see where the new descriptions have been added to the worksheet as well as visuals that explain when specific options should be selected.
 Infant Breastfed at Discharge
NCHS flagged our birth data as having too many unknowns for this data point.
Infant Breastfed at Discharge should be marked as “Yes” if any of the following occurred before being discharged:
- Infant was breastfed at any time by mother.
- Infant received breastmilk via a bottle or feeding tube from the mother or from donor breastmilk.
- Mother attempted to establish breastmilk production (lactation consultation).
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If the information is left blank on the facility birth worksheet, please look at the patient’s medical record to determine if any of these are true at time of discharge.
We appreciate your help in decreasing the number of errors and unknowns associated with these three data points. If you have any questions about correctly answering these or any other questions on the Facility Birth Worksheet, contact the Registration Unit at CHS.Registration@oha.oregon.gov.
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