Kids having kids declines.The teen birth rate fell to a record low in 2003--to 41.6 births per 1,000 women 15 to 19 years old, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Center for Health Statistics National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. NCHS is the United States' principal health statistics agency. . That's the lowest number of births to women under 20 years of age since 1946, the first year of the baby boom. The declines in teen births have been especially striking among young black girls. Their overall rate dropped 45 percent since 1991, and the rate for the youngest black females (aged 15 to 17 years) has plunged by more than half. Data suggest that both delayed initiation of sexual intercourse sexual intercourse or coitus or copulation Act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract (see reproductive system). and increased contraceptive contraceptive /con·tra·cep·tive/ (-sep´tiv) 1. diminishing the likelihood of or preventing conception. 2. an agent that so acts. use contributed equally to the declines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. . Rates are not as good for young Hispanic women. And the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. continues to have the highest rate of teen pregnancy among comparable countries. Unmarried teens who bear babies are less likely to complete school and more likely to be single parents. They're also at higher risk for serious health problems, including obesity, hypertension, anemia and sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely . Children born to adolescents are more likely to be of low birth weight and have related health problems. They are also more likely to be poor. CHILDREN OF TEEN MOTHERS Number nearly half a million each year. Between 1995 and 2010, the number of teenaged girls is projected to increase by 2.2 million. Are at risk of being born too small raising the probabilities of infant death Noun 1. infant death - sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant during sleep cot death, crib death, SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome , blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation mental retardation, below average level of intellectual functioning, usually defined by an IQ of below 70 to 75, combined with limitations in the skills necessary for daily living. , mental illness and cerebral palsy cerebral palsy (sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. . Are more likely to end up on welfare. Almost half of all teenage mothers and more than three-fourths of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare within five years of the birth of their first child. It costs some $40 billion in federal money every year to help families that began with a teenage birth. Are 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade and perform poorly on standardized tests A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a standard manner. The tests are designed in such a way that the "questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent" [1] and less likely to complete high school than if their mothers had delayed childbearing child·bear·ing n. Pregnancy and parturition. child  bear ing adj. . Low birth weight doubles the chances
of dyslexia dyslexia (dĭslĕk`sēə), in psychology, a developmental disability in reading or spelling, generally becoming evident in early schooling. To a dyslexic, letters and words may appear reversed, e.g. , hyperactivity hyperactivity, excessive physical activity of emotional or physiological origin, usually seen in young children; one of the components of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. or other disabilities.
Are at risk of abuse and neglect (110 reported incidents per 1,000 families). If half the teen mothers delayed child-bearing, it would save nearly $1 billion a year in foster care costs. DECLINE IN TEEN BIRTH RATES (BY STATE, 1991-2002) Percent States 1991 2002 Decline Rank Alabama 73.5 54.5 -25.9% 31 Alaska 66.0 39.5 -40.2 4 Arizona 79.7 61.2 -23.2 40 Arkansas 79.5 59.9 -24.7 33 California 73.8 41.1 -44.3 1 Colorado 58.3 47.0 -19.4 48 Connecticut 40.1 25.8 -35.7 9 Delaware 60.4 46.3 -23.3 38 Florida 67.9 44.5 -34.5 16 Georgia 76.0 55.7 -26.7 25 Hawaii 59.2 38.2 -35.5 10 Idaho 53.9 39.1 -27.5 22 Illinois 64.5 42.2 -34.6 14 Indiana 60.4 44.6 -26.2 28 Iowa 42.5 32.5 -23.5 36 Kansas 55.4 43.0 -22.4 41 Kentucky 68.8 51.0 -25.9 30 Louisiana 76.0 58.1 -23.6 35 Maine 43.5 25.4 -41.6 2 Maryland 54.1 35.4 -34.6 15 Massachusetts 37.5 23.3 -37.9 8 Michigan 58.9 34.8 -40.9 3 Minnesota 37.3 27.5 -23.3 27 Mississippi 85.3 64.7 -24.2 34 Missouri 64.4 44.1 -31.5 19 Montana 46.8 36.4 -22.2 42 Nebraska 42.4 37.0 -12.7 50 Nevada 74.5 53.9 -27.7 21 New Hampshire 33.1 20.0 -39.6 5 New Jersey 41.3 26.8 -35.1 12 New Mexico 79.5 62.4 -21.5 44 New York 45.5 29.5 -35.2 11 North Carolina 70.0 52.2 -25.4 32 North Dakota 35.5 27.2 -23.4 37 Ohio 60.5 39.5 -34.7 13 Oklahoma 72.1 58.0 -19.6 47 Oregon 54.8 36.8 -32.8 17 Pennsylvania 46.7 31.6 -32.3 18 Rhode Island 44.7 35.6 -20.4 45 South Carolina 72.5 53.0 -26.9 24 South Dakota 47.6 38.0 -20.2 46 Tennessee 74.8 54.3 -27.4 23 Texas 78.4 64.4 -17.9 49 Utah 48.0 36.8 -23.3 39 Vermont 39.2 24.2 -38.3 7 Virginia 53.4 37.6 -29.6 20 Washington 53.7 33.0 -38.5 6 West Virginia 58.0 45.5 -21.6 43 Wisconsin 43.7 32.3 -26.1 29 Wyoming 54.3 39.9 -26.5 26 District of Columbia 109.6 69.1 -37 ** National Total 61.8 42.9 -30 Note: Teen birth rate figures are births per 1,00 teens, age 15-19. ** District of Columbia figures are not included in national total, nor ranked since it is not a state. Source: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2005. |
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