Thursday, July 24, 2003
Fewer babies
America's birth rate fell to a record low last year as both teenagers and women in their prime childbearing years had fewer babies, government officials reported recently. But the percentages of premature and low-birth weight babies climbed, continuing the rise of recent years.
The latest figure is the lowest in government records that go back to the turn of the 20th century, according to Brady Hamilton, a demographer at the National Center for Health Statistics.
A major factor in the decline has been the reduction in births to teenagers in recent years. Other factors also play a part, including the aging of the population.