Births in the
U.S. Increase for the First Time Since 1990
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 28, 2000
Contact: NCHS Press Office
(301) 458-4800
CDC Office of Media Relations (404) 639-3286
E-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov
Births: Final Data for 1998. Vol.
48, No. 3. 100 pp.
(PHS) 2000-1120. View/download PDF
6.19 MB
The number of births in the United
States rose in 1998 for the first time since 1990, according to a new report released
today.
"Births: Final Data for
1998," prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center
for Health Statistics, shows that 3,941,553 babies were born in 1998, a 2 percent increase
from 1997. The birth rate (the number of births per 1,000 population) and the fertility
rate (the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-44) also increased slightly in 1998.
The increase in the number of U.S.
births was fueled by increases in birth rates for women in their twenties, the principal
childbearing ages, and for women in their thirties. According to the report, the birth
rate for women in their early twenties (20-24) increased in 1998 after falling 6 percent
during the 1990's, and birth rates for women in their thirties are now at their highest
levels in at least three decades. Meanwhile, the overall birth rate for teens aged 15-19
dropped 2 percent in 1998, to 51.1 per 1,000 teens aged 15-19. Overall, the teen birth
rate declined by 18 percent from 1991 to 1998, with all states recording a decline in the
birth rate of 15-19 year-olds between 1991 and 1998.
Twin births also continued to increase in 1998, by 6 percent
to 110,670 -- the largest single year increase in several decades -- and the number of
triplets and other higher order multiple births climbed 13 percent to 7,625. Since 1980,
the twin birth rate has risen 49 percent and the triplet and other higher order multiple
birth rate has risen 423 percent.
Driven by the growing number of
unmarried women of childbearing age (15-44 years), the number of births to unmarried women
also rose to 1,293,567 in 1998. The percent of all births to unmarried women also
increased from 32.4 percent in 1997 to 32.8 percent in 1998, while the birth rate for
unmarried women increased slightly to 44.3 births per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15-44 in
1998. However, the teen out-of-wedlock birth rate dropped again in 1998, to 41.5 births
per 1,000 unmarried teens aged 15-19, down 11 percent from its high in 1994.
"The continued improvement in teen
birth rates is good news for all of us who are working to help our teenagers make
responsible choices," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "And I'm also pleased
that the number of pregnant women receiving prenatal care has continued to increase, while
the number of pregnant women who smoke during pregnancy has continued to decline. However,
the increase in births to unmarried mothers, as well as the increase in teen mothers who
smoke, are troubling."
The new report contains a variety of
other important findings:
An increase in the primary cesarean rate of delivery for the
first time since 1989 and a decline in the rate of vaginal birth following a previous
cesarean delivery -- the second consecutive year of decline after jumping 50 percent
during 1989-96.
The rate of first
births declined to its lowest level ever, 26.4 first births per 1,000 women aged 15-44.
The rate of preterm
births (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) rose to 11.6 percent in 1998, and has
risen 9 percent since 1990 and 23 percent since 1981. The low birthweight rate (less than
5.5 pounds) also continued to rise, increasing to 7.6 percent for 1998. The low
birthweight rate has risen quite steadily since the mid-1980's. The upswing in the overall
levels of preterm and low birthweight births is influenced in part by the increase in
multiple births; multiples tend to be born earlier and smaller than singletons.
The proportion of women
beginning prenatal care in the first trimester rose again for the 9th consecutive year, to
82.8 percent in 1998. Timely care has risen 10 percent during the 1990's.
Cigarette smoking
during pregnancy declined again in 1998, to 12.9 percent, continuing a trend observed
since 1989. However, tobacco use by pregnant teenagers continued to increase in 1998,
particularly for non-Hispanic black teens.
"This increase in tobacco use
among pregnant teens is very disturbing. It puts a troubling spotlight on two of our
biggest national concerns -- teen pregnancy and tobacco use among young people in the
country," said CDC director Jeffrey P. Koplan. "Reducing teen smoking is a top
priority at CDC. This year we will spend nearly $100 million to fund state tobacco control
and prevention programs. In addition, we will continue to advocate that states use money
from the master tobacco settlement for tobacco prevention and control efforts."
"Births: Final Data for 1998"
can be downloaded directly from the National Center for Health Statistics web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs.