birth rates

The U.S. birth rate went up in 2021. Here, a baby is seen in a hospital in McAllen, Texas in 2020.

The 2021 rise in U.S. births is likely a baby blip, not a boom

Bill Chappell

The U.S. birth rate has been trending downwards over the past 15 years — so the news that the number of births actually rose in 2021 is making headlines.

Matthew Carnes prepares to change diapers for his newborn daughter, Evelina Carnes, as his wife, Breanna Llamas, keeps watch in the postpartum unit at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, Calif., in March. The U.S. has reported another record low in its birthrate.

U.S. Birthrate Fell By 4% In 2020, Hitting Another Record Low

Bill Chappell

For the sixth year in a row, the number of U.S. births fell in 2020, reaching the lowest level since 1979. The fertility rate remains "below replacement" — the level needed to compensate for deaths.

When Heather Woock was conceived, her mom sought the help of a fertility specialist. What happened next was not what she was led to believe. But it took three decades for it to come to light.

Her Own Birth Was 'Fertility Fraud' And Now She Needs Fertility Treatment

Lauren Bavis

Years ago, doctors sometimes lied about whose sperm they used for artificial inseminations. Could it happen now? Some argue regulation is weak in the multibillion dollar fertility treatment industry.

In 2018, U.S. birthrates fell for nearly all racial and age groups, the CDC says. Here, mothers and babies attend a yoga class in Culver City, Calif., in March.

U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump

Bill Chappell

"The birthrate is a barometer of despair," demographer Dowell Myers says. Not since 1986 has the U.S. seen so few babies born.

In 2017, birthrates fell by 4 percent both for women 20 to 24 years old and for women 25 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Births Dip To 30-Year Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

Bill Chappell

The results put the U.S. further away from a viable replacement rate — the standard for a generation being able to replicate its numbers.

Health Care

Too Many Babies Born Early In Florida

Sammy Mack

The March of Dimes has issued its 2015 report card on early births across the country and Florida gets bad grades for its premature birth rates.The state…