Just under 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, compared to about 3.7 million in 2022, according to the CDC. The decline comes as birth rates remained relatively stable from 2021 to 2022, after rising by just 1% from 2020 to 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. I was furious.
The report also highlighted that teen birth rates continue to decline and noted a slight increase in caesarean births. The incidence of preterm birth is similar to previous years.
Brady E. Hamilton, lead author of the report, said trends in teen birth rates from 2022 to 2023 are one of the more interesting findings. Preliminary data shows that the birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds will reach a record low in 2023, but this is only a 3% decline from 2022.
From 2007 to 2022, this rate declined by an average of 7% each year. It is therefore noteworthy that the rate of decline is more gradual.
“There may be a lot of states that are already low, but if they're already low, they can't go any lower,” Hamilton said.
He added that further research is needed to understand the reasons for these numbers, and that the final data will drill down into different demographic groups and geographic regions to uncover contributing factors. .
Hamilton also pointed out that the data shows the annual cesarean birth rate has increased for the fourth time in a row since 2020. This is a worrying trend because caesarean sections and vaginal births carry a higher risk of complications.
“A caesarean section is a major abdominal surgery and carries risks in terms of the health of the mother and child,” he said.
A sustained decline in birth rates could have far-reaching implications for many aspects of society, including the economy, health care systems, and family structure.
Julia Strasser, director of the Jacobs Institute for Women's Health and assistant professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, said experts have not pinpointed a single cause for this decline, but student loan debt , said there are factors such as high housing costs. Economic uncertainty is thought to influence young people's decisions to delay or forgo childbearing.
Strasser added that recent court decisions regarding contraception, fertility treatments and women's reproductive health could also impact birth rates.
“States with abortion bans already have some of the worst maternal and child health outcomes and poverty rates in the country, both of which are important factors in determining birth rates,” she said. “If births are going up in these states, but births are going down in states that protect abortion, what we're seeing is a decline in maternal health and social safety. This is likely to reflect the growing disparity in the internet.”
