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Birth Statistics
Birth rates have been steadily declining in the US since
the early 1990s. Consider these statistics from the National
Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC):
- The year 1997 marked a record low in births in the US:
14.5 births per 1,000 population.
- In 1997, 3,880,894 babies were born in the US.
- The peak age for childbearing years remains in the 20s.
- There is a slow increase in births to older mothers in
their 30s.
- More women than ever are receiving prenatal care in the
US about 82.5 percent.
- Fewer women are smoking during pregnancy about 13.2 percent
in 1997.
- Preterm birth rates (less than 37 weeks in the womb) increased
dramatically to 11.4 percent (437,000 babies) in 1997, and
the number of low birthweight babies (less than 5.5 pounds)
increased to 7.5 percent (291,000 babies).
The rise in both preterm births and low birthweight babies
can be partly attributed to the rise in multiple births.
- More pregnancies are resulting in multiple births. In
fact, in 1997, twin births increased 3 percent to 104,137,
and triplet births increased 16 percent to 6,148.
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