Teen
Birth Rate Down in
All States
Drives U.S. Birth
Rate to
Record Low
Embargoed For Release
Thursday, April 29, 1999
Contact: NCHS Press
Office (301) 436-7551
CDC Division of Media Relations (404) 639-3286
E-mail: nchsquery@cdc.gov
Births:
Final Data for 1997. Vol. 47, No. 18. 96. pp. (PHS) 99-1120. GPO stock
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HHS Secretary Donna E.
Shalala today announced that according to a new HHS report, the national
birth rate dropped to a record low in 1997, due in part to the continuing
decline in the teen birth rate across the country. Overall, the teen birth
rate declined by 16 percent from 1991 to 1997, with all states recording a
decline in the birth rate of 15-19 year-olds between 1991 and 1997. It is
the sixth year in a row that the teen birth rate has declined.
Teen birth rates
declined for white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, and
Hispanic women age 15-19. The report also found a continued decline in
out-of-wedlock births, record high levels of women getting early prenatal
care, and the lowest rate ever reported of smoking by pregnant women.
"Communities and
parents all across America have joined with us to help our young people
understand that they should delay parenthood until they are truly ready to
nurture and support a child of their own," Secretary Shalala said.
"This sustained national improvement is evidence that innovative
programs to reach teenagers with information and support to make
responsible choices are working. It is also a reminder that most teenagers
are making good choices - - focusing on their futures and saying no to
anything that would jeopardize their dreams."
"Births: Final
Data for 1997," the latest annual analysis of final birth data
prepared by the National Center for Health Statistics, is a comprehensive
report on birth and fertility patterns and key aspects of maternal and
infant health based on data from birth certificates. The report includes
the latest data for the Nation and each state on low birthweight, prenatal
care, unmarried childbearing, and teenage birth rates.
According to the
report, the out-of-wedlock birth rate declined for the third year in a
row. The birth rate for unmarried women in 1997 was 44 births per 1,000
unmarried women aged 15-44 years, 2 percent lower than in 1996 and 6
percent lower than 1994 when the rate was at its highest.
The birth rate for
unmarried black women is lower than in any year since 1969 when this rate
was first calculated; the rate has dropped 18 percent since 1991. The
number of births to unmarried women declined slightly to 1,257,444 in
1997, while the percent of all births occurring to unmarried women
remained unchanged from the previous year at 32 percent. Of the almost
500,000 births to those 15-19 years of age, 78 percent are to unmarried
teens. The birth rate for unmarried teens of all races has dropped 9
percent since 1994; the birth rate for unmarried black teens has fallen 20
percent since 1991.
The birth rate for
teenagers continued to decline in 1997, falling another 4 percent to 52.3
births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years. The rate for young teenagers
15-17 years was down 5 percent in the past year and down 17 percent from
1991 when the improvement began. For older teens, those 18-19 years, the
birth rate dropped by 11 percent between 1991 and 1997. The greatest
decline in teen birth rates occurred among Puerto Rican and non-Hispanic
black teens, for whom the rate was down about 25 percent during this
period.
All states have been
successful in reducing the rate of teen births. Between 1991 and 1997,
teenage birth rates fell in all states, the District of Columbia, and the
Virgin Islands. In 10 states and the District of Columbia, the rate was
down by more than 20 percent. Teenage birth rates vary considerably from
state to state, with the lowest rate in Vermont (26.9 per 1,000 women aged
15-19) to the highest in Mississippi (73.7).
The U.S. birth rate
reached a record low of 14.5 births per 1,000 population, with the total
number of births, 3,880,894, the lowest since 1987. Birth rates for women
in their twenties--the peak childbearing years--have changed little over
the decade, while the rise in births to older mothers in their thirties
continues but at a slower pace.
Mothers are more likely
than ever to receive timely prenatal care during their pregnancies. First
trimester prenatal care improved for the eighth consecutive year, reaching
82.5 percent in 1997. All groups have experienced an improvement in
prenatal care but gains have been most pronounced among groups with lower
levels of care. Since 1989, first trimester care has risen by at least 20
percent among Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central and South American, and
non-Hispanic black women, and by more than 15 percent for American Indian
and Hawaiian mothers. Despite these improvements, American Indian,
Mexican, and non-Hispanic black women are still less likely to receive
early prenatal care.
Midwives delivered
about 7 percent of all babies born in 1997, up from 1 percent in 1975;
about 95 percent of those deliveries were attended by certified nurse
midwives. The cesarean delivery rate increased slightly to 20.8 percent,
after declining throughout the 1990s.
In 1997, 13.2 percent
of all women giving birth reported that they smoked during pregnancy. This
is the lowest level of tobacco use during pregnancy since 1989 when this
information first became available on the birth certificate. However,
smoking among pregnant teenagers increased again in 1997, particularly
among black and Puerto Rican teenagers; white non-Hispanic teenagers are
still the most likely of all women to smoke while pregnant.
In contrast to
improvements in prenatal care and a reduction in maternal smoking, the
rate of preterm births increased sharply in 1997 to 11.4 percent (437,000)
and the proportion of infants born low birthweight (291,000) reached the
highest level in over two decades, 7.5 percent. The recent trends in
preterm births (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) and low
birthweight (less than 5-1/2 pounds) are due in part to the remarkable
rise in multiple births. Preterm and low birthweight rates are much higher
among multiple births than among babies born in single deliveries.
However, these problems are not limited to multiple births; for example,
low birthweight has also been on the rise among single births during the
1990's.
Multiple births
increased substantially in 1997. Twin births increased 3 percent to
104,137 and triplet births rose 16 percent to 6,148. Births in quadruplet
and quintuplet deliveries were down slightly.