About half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned. But Hogue, the Emory professor, said the recession likely affected the other half.
SHOOT: Healthy response.
The Great Depression and subsequent recessions all were accompanied by a decline in births, said Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health and epidemiology. And the numbers have never rebounded until the economy pulled out of it, she said, calling the 2008 recession the most likely culprit for fewer babies.
It's not clear that it's the only explanation, however. Another expert noted a recent decline in immigration to the U.S. may also be a factor.
The nation recorded about 4,247,000 births last year, down about 68,000 from 2007, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
The largest decline in births were in California and Florida, two states hit hardest by the housing crisis.
"I wasn't surprised," Hogue said, of the new numbers, which are not final and will be updated.
In contrast, births in California were down by 15,000 and in Florida, by 8,000, compared to 2007.
|
1 comment:
At least now peoplethink carefully before having children - maybe a matter of putting the ego behind oneself in some cases?
Post a Comment