Fewer babies, older moms

The U.S. birth rate has hit a historic low, the Centers for Disease Control says. There were 12.7 babies born per 1,000 people in 2011, down from 13.0 live births in 2011. Back in 1950, the rate was 24.1.

Overall there were 1 percent fewer children born in the U.S. in 2011 than in 2010.

The biggest decline came among teenagers (aged 15 to 19), which hit a low of 31.3 births per 1,000 girls. That rate is down 49 percent from its peak in 1991. Women in their 20s had fewer babies, while women aged 35 through 44 had more, according to the study by Brady Hamilton, PhD, of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues.

Based on a survey of birth certificates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

These data indicate that many women are postponing childbearing until later ages, says ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava. What this demographic shift will mean for future health care and public health remains to be seen.