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Article: Birth Certificates
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BIRTH CERTIFICATES
There are many reasons for the nations of the world to keep an accurate count of their citizens, and for individuals to have a formal record of their own existence. Birth certificates serve the needs of both nations and individuals. The United States, like many nations, uses birth certification as the basic ingredient in national vital statistics. Linked to census data and death certification, birth certification is the foundation for fundamental indicators of the nation's health, including life tables and life expectancy. Individuals need a birth certificate for purposes such as obtaining official documents like a passport; applying for a Social Security number; and ...