| 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 women 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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