U.S. births up after years of decline
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
A major review suggests a seven-year decline in the number of babies born in the United States may be over.
Preliminary figures show there were about 53,000 more babies born in 2014 than the year before and that nearly every racial and ethnic group saw an upswing.
At the same time, teen births hit another historic low even though experts had been expecting that statistic to level off. Bill Albert of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy says social norms for teens may be shifting, with more wariness of pregnancy, and less likelihood they know someone who became pregnant as a teen.
Cesarean sections and preterm deliveries were also down again.
The total fertility rate rose slightly, to just shy of 1.9 children. Experts say 2.1 is a goal for population stability.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
