Teen birth rate drops
Out-of-wedlock births aren’t just for teen mothers anymore.
While the unmarried birthrate climbed to an all-time high in the United States, accounting for nearly four in 10 babies born last year, the teen birth rate dropped last year to the lowest level on record.
Instead, births among unwed mothers rose most dramatically among women in their 20s.
The overall rise reflects the burgeoning number of people who are putting off marriage or living together without getting married. The increase in births to unwed mothers was seen in all racial groups, but rose most sharply among Hispanics. It was up among all age groups except youngsters ages 10 to 17.
“A lot of people think of teenagers and unmarried mothers synonymously, but they are not driving this,” says Stephanie Ventura of the National Center for Health Statistics, a co-author of the report.
The government also reported that the rate of births by Caesarean delivery continued to climb in 2005 to a record high, despite efforts by public health authorities to bring down the number. Many experts believe a large number of C-sections are medically unnecessary and done only for the convenience of the mother or her doctor.
The Associated Press