US Birth Rate Stats (2002)
I just ran across this MSN article discussing the latest figures on US birth rates (2002 data).
Some of the parts I found most interesting:
Waiting longer: First-time moms were about 25 years old on average -- an all-time high in the United States. In 1970, the average age for first-time moms was about 21.
The average age in 1970 was 21. That boggles my mind. Honestly, even today's average, 25, seems young to me. But I realize that as an average, it's really not.
Midlife mothers: Birth rates for women ages 35 to 39 were higher than ever (moms in their mid to late 30s accounted for more than 450,000 babies). The number of moms in their 40s also increased -- the birth rate for women ages 40 to 44 has gone up 51 percent since 1990, mostly because of fertility treatments.
We're part of a trend, ladies. (Okay, yes, I know not everyone reading this is in the over-35 category, but a bunch of us probably are.) As a statistic, this doesn't have any bearing on my own changes of success, but still, it makes me feel good to know that we're definitely not out of the ordinary.
More unmarried moms: More than a third of all babies were born to unmarried women, a record high.
And wow, that seems like a very high number of unmarried moms. I am surprised, especially considering the conservative bent of US culture these days.
C-sections soaring: Cesarean deliveries increased 7 percent from 2001 to 2002. They made up 26 percent of births, the highest rate ever reported in the United States.
Twenty-six percent of births by C-section! I knew that it seemed like more and more mothers were scheduling their deliveries these days, even just among the ones I know, but I had no idea the rate was so high! That's not an easy recovery, either. I wonder what the reasons are for this rise in C-sections? I can't believe they're all medically necessary.
There's lots more fodder for thought and discussion here. (I would link to the actual CDC report, but it crashed my browser when I tried to open it...)
Some of the parts I found most interesting:
Waiting longer: First-time moms were about 25 years old on average -- an all-time high in the United States. In 1970, the average age for first-time moms was about 21.
The average age in 1970 was 21. That boggles my mind. Honestly, even today's average, 25, seems young to me. But I realize that as an average, it's really not.
Midlife mothers: Birth rates for women ages 35 to 39 were higher than ever (moms in their mid to late 30s accounted for more than 450,000 babies). The number of moms in their 40s also increased -- the birth rate for women ages 40 to 44 has gone up 51 percent since 1990, mostly because of fertility treatments.
We're part of a trend, ladies. (Okay, yes, I know not everyone reading this is in the over-35 category, but a bunch of us probably are.) As a statistic, this doesn't have any bearing on my own changes of success, but still, it makes me feel good to know that we're definitely not out of the ordinary.
More unmarried moms: More than a third of all babies were born to unmarried women, a record high.
And wow, that seems like a very high number of unmarried moms. I am surprised, especially considering the conservative bent of US culture these days.
C-sections soaring: Cesarean deliveries increased 7 percent from 2001 to 2002. They made up 26 percent of births, the highest rate ever reported in the United States.
Twenty-six percent of births by C-section! I knew that it seemed like more and more mothers were scheduling their deliveries these days, even just among the ones I know, but I had no idea the rate was so high! That's not an easy recovery, either. I wonder what the reasons are for this rise in C-sections? I can't believe they're all medically necessary.
There's lots more fodder for thought and discussion here. (I would link to the actual CDC report, but it crashed my browser when I tried to open it...)
3 Comments:
Hi Susie!
Just found/read your blog - wanted to wish you the best of luck, and just let you know how sorry I am that you've had to endure all this crappiness.
By
Anonymous, at 7:36 PM
That is interesting. About the babies-out-of-wedlock thing, I think it is much more accepted now not to marry your child's father just because you're pregnant. It has become such a common thing to get pregnant out of wedlock that it doesn't have the same stigma it once did.
By
K, at 1:19 PM
The higher c-sections doesn't surprise me with the malpractice lawsuits on the rise. It is safer for the docs to do a c-section than a vaginal birth and possible cerebral palsy.
By
Anonymous, at 7:59 PM
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