U.S. Birth Rate Reaches Record Low [why have the women given up?]

HHS | June 2003 | Centers for Disease Control

[ex-snook]

U.S. Birth Rate Reaches Record Low
Births to Teens Continue 12-Year Decline; Cesarean Deliveries Reach All-Time High

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 25, 2003

The U.S. birth rate fell to the lowest level since national data have been available, reports the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) birth statistics released today by HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.  Secretary Thompson also noted that the rate of teen births fell to a new record low, continuing a decline that began in 1991.

The birth rate was 13.9 per 1,000 persons in 2002, a decline of 1 percent from the rate of 14.1 per 1,000 in 2001 and down 17 percent from the recent peak in 1990 (16.7 per 1,000), according to a new CDC report, “Births: Preliminary Data for 2002.”  The current low birth rate primarily reflects the smaller proportion of women of childbearing age in the U.S. population, as baby boomers age and Americans are living longer.

There has also been a recent downturn in the birth rate for women in the peak childbearing ages.  Birth rates for women in their 20s and early 30s were generally down while births to older mothers (35-44) were still on the rise.  Rates were stable for women over 45.

Birth rates among teenagers were down in 2002, continuing a decline that began in 1991. The birth rate fell to 43 births per 1,000 females 15-19 years of age in 2002, a 5-percent decline from 2001 and a 28-percent decline from 1990. The decline in the birth rate for younger teens, 15-17 years of age, is even more substantial, dropping 38 percent from 1990 to 2002 compared with a drop of 18 percent for teens 18-19 years.

“The reduction in teen pregnancy has clearly been one of the most important public health success stories of the past decade,” Secretary Thompson said. “The fact that this decline in teen births is continuing represents a significant accomplishment.”

More than one fourth of all children born in 2002 were delivered by cesarean; the total cesarean delivery rate of 26.1 percent was the highest level ever reported in the United States. The number of cesarean births to women with no previous cesarean birth jumped 7 percent and the rate of vaginal births after previous cesarean delivery dropped 23 percent.  The cesarean delivery rate declined during the late 1980s through the mid-1990s but has been on the rise since 1996.

Among other significant findings:

In 2002, there were 4,019,280 births in the United States, down slightly from 2001 (4,025,933).

The percent of low birthweight babies (infants born weighing less than 2,500 grams) increased to 7.8 percent, up from 7.7 percent in 2001 and the highest level in more than 30 years.  In addition, the percent of preterm births (infants born at less than 37 weeks of gestation) increased slightly over 2001, from 11.9 percent to 12 percent.

More than one-third of all births were to unmarried women.  The birth rate for unmarried women was down slightly in 2002 to 43.6 per 1,000 unmarried women, reflecting the growing number of unmarried women in the population

Access to prenatal care continued a slow and steady increase.  In 2002, 83.8 percent of women began receiving prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, up from 83.4 percent in 2001 and 75.8 percent in 1990.

Data on births are based on information reported on birth certificates filed in State vital statistics offices and reported to CDC through the National Vital Statistics System.  The report is available on CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics Web site.

[Lorianne]

That statistic is incorrect. At its zenith (in the mid 1980's) abortion only accounted for the resolution of 25% of pregnancies. The overage over 30 years has been much lower than that.

[LizardQueen]

American women (except for FR babes) are exquisitely narcissistic and superficial. They are too selfish and self-centered to have children in their lives.

This is a blanket statement that I disagree with. While some childless women certainly are incredibly shallow, many others haven't found the right guy, aren't in a position where bringing a child into the world would be a good decision, or have decided that if they can't do it right they aren't going to do it at all. Opting out under those circumstances certainly isn't selfish - it's quite the opposite.

LQ

[Age of Reason]

U.S. Birth Rate Reaches Record Low

That's good news because we are out of room.

Now if only they'd stop importing people we might still have some freedom left.

[Antoninus]

It's that my lifestyle won't accommodate a child, and I'm mature enough to recognize my selfishness.

Yeah, there's a lot of that going around these days. Hope you'll be happy living surrounded by Muslims and Mexicans if you live another 30-40 years 'cause that's who'll be populating the US.

[Catalonia]

This is a blanket statement that I disagree with. While some childless women certainly are incredibly shallow, many others haven't found the right guy, aren't in a position where bringing a child into the world would be a good decision, or have decided that if they can't do it right they aren't going to do it at all. Opting out under those circumstances certainly isn't selfish - it's quite the opposite.

Which is to say there is nothing that is going to reverse the trend. There is a reason why ALL industrialized nations are experiencing decreasing birth rates.

[Henrietta]

"Women don't have babies on their own"

True, but we don't end up supporting the dads, we end up supporting the moms (via Section 8 housing, food stamps, Federally sponsored school lunch programs, etc.) and their illegitimate brats. If these women can't afford babies, or aren't married, they shouldn't be having sex, period.

[jwalsh07]

After I ETS'd from the US Army my wife and I and my two kids lived in a tent for 6 months while we gathered enough money to do what we planned on.

Now I have five grandkids. We were just as happy living in that tent as we are living in this now big, empty house.

[jwalsh07]

Our two kids dude.

[steplock]

I caught hell for this last week when I mentioned the FALL of the caucasian races due to a birth rate less than replacement. What is the result? No more caucasian race. This is getting so critical that even RUSSIA is paying FAMILIES (that's HETEROSEXUALs) to have more babies. They realize that it takes a family to raise a chikld. The village is for idiots.

[Alberta's Child]

I mean a modest house, food, clothing, and transportation to get around . . .

In my opinion, any family that has difficulty making ends meet on one income has no obligation to pay any taxes and should feel free to use whatever, uh, "creative" means of tax evasion at their disposal. There are a few ways this can be done, provided have a good accountant, keep good records for the IRS, and can keep a straight face if you ever get audited.

[Lizavetta]

These and other incentives. They work terrifically.

....at jacking up already confiscatory rates, forcing mothers to work to pay their tax bill. I'm not impressed and I don't call this situation 'working' at all.

[honeygrl]

"Perhaps it's not just the women. Why would modern men in this country get married let alone have kids when the courts are stacked against them ?? "

Well, if men and women both worked a little harder to keep the marraige together (i'm saying both of them, not one or the other) then they wouldn't have to worry about the courts being stacked against them.

[Alberta's Child]

That's good news because we are out of room.

That was a joke, right?

Have you ever driven from one end of this country to the other?

[DC native]

I agree with you. I'm also wondering how this breaks down demographically. I wonder if the birth rate is only down for white women.

[Antoninus]

That statistic is incorrect. At its zenith (in the mid 1980's) abortion only accounted for the resolution of 25% of pregnancies. The overage over 30 years has been much lower than that.

The fact of the matter is that 40 million Americans who would have been alive today have been dumped in a landfill somewhere. Minimize that at your peril. Unless we outlaw abortion, our republic will be finished and our great nation balkanized and dismembered.

[ex-snook]

"Those griping about how bad the women are need to get out there and encourage the men to take some responsibility for their families, to be open to the idea of having kids, and to grow the hell up. "

Well said. Committment is out, shacking up is in. But 'today's' man is conditioned to not buy the cow when milk is so readily available. TV you know.

[Xenalyte]

So I, in all my irresponsibility and ambivalence about children, should go ahead and spawn, even though I know I'm not fit to be a parent?

[Noachian]

The question about this recent marriageless trend should be is it sustainable?

The institution of traditional marriage has been around for thousands of years - that's sustainability.

All of a sudden the yuppies of the western world get prosperous and they don't need the walk down the aisle, or the kids that go with it. It's more fun to do Boca Raton in the chichi season. How long can that type of attitude be sustained?

The thing is Mother Nature can be a bitch. She doesn't care who occupies the space you're taking up. If you're not strong enough to do what she demands of you, you can be replaced.

It goes something like this: If you don't reproduce somebody else will. If you don't order your life around a close knit family unit somebody else will. If you throw away thousands of years of tried and tested traditions to become an aging child somebody else will replace your traditions with their own. If you don't care about all those people in the past who made your life possible and prepare other lives for the future somebody else will.

Don't worry about the "I don't want to get married and have kids" crowd. They'll die out eventually and leave nothing like them behind.

It's natures way of culling the herd, and getting rid of the weak and useless.

[DannyTN]

Two thoughts:

1. It's expensive to have children. I would love to a lot, but it's expensive.
2. If we are getting close to the Great Tribulation, then it may be a blessing that children aren't being born into these times.

[honeygrl]

"But then, just like the rest of the world blames America for everything, there are some people who, no matter what the problem is, will find some way to pin the blame on "women". Not some women, not certain women, but "women"."

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree with that. I've seen too many men, even around here, that make no secret of how much they detest women. And one man on the forum even went so far as to say that women who stay home with the kids are just freeloading off their husbands. I forget his screen name but he went on and on about how easy stay home moms have it (and he supposedly knew that because he had 4 kids who were all grown up now) and how easy their life is and how they needed to get jobs and earn their keep. He's the first person on the forum I've ever lost my temper with. We need MORE moms staying home, not going to work while a stranger keeps the kids. I know some people have no choice and I understand that but a lot do have a choice. Too bad it's career first and family second.