Hot on HuffPost Parents:
Cassandra Scrimgeour: When Is the "Right Time" for a Baby?
Significant Wage Gap Between Working Moms And Working Women
Is the Recession a Great Form of Birth Control?
Filed under: In The News
The state of the economy is prompting couples to hold off on having kids. Credit: Getty Images
The Los Angeles Times reports that the birth rate fell 2.7 percent last year, despite the fact that the overall population grew, according to numbers released Aug. 27 by the National Center for Health Statistics. The 2009 birth rate also is the lowest recorded in a century.
"It's a good-sized decline for one year. Every month is showing a decline from the year before," Stephanie Ventura, the demographer who oversaw the report, tells the Times.
Experts say the recession is causing married couples to put off having children. The 2007 birth rate was the highest ever, but the recession began that fall, and, in 2008, the numbers began to decline.
"There is quite possibly a connection between the decline in births and the economic downturn," the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes the health statistics center, tells the Times. "More details on the demographics of mothers who gave birth in 2009 are needed to more strongly make this connection."
However, despite the fact that the overall birth rate fell in 2008, the report showed an increase in the number of births to women older than 40. But not all younger moms are letting money woes halt their pregnancy schedule.
Rebecca Frost of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., says she and her husband wanted their first two kids -- they plan on having four -- to be close in age. They forged ahead with their plan to get pregnant with baby No. 2, who was born in March 2010, despite some recession-related hurdles.
"My company at the time was in trouble, and went through multiple rounds of layoffs," the 31-year-old tells ParentDish. "I was lucky, and found a better job at a company closer to home."
However, Frost and her husband do make financial sacrifices -- they downsized from two cars to one, for instance -- and have halted more baby-making plans for the near future.
"We want to have more kids, but are waiting until I have my MBA and we are both earning more money," she says.
Related: U.S. Sees Fewer Premature Births for Second Straight Year
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Impact of Your Birth Order on Your Life
Some experts say that birth order affects our personality, intelligence and even our career choice. And by knowing the traits of your birth order, you can avoid making many mistakes in your life.
-
Are Birth Classes Worth It for Dads?
Dads can't give birth. So why should they take a class in it? The DadLabs guys ask experts and experienced parents to answer the question: are birth classes worth it for dads? We deliver answers. DadLabs ep 481 is brought to you by BabyBjorn. Distributed by Tubemogul.
-
The Risks of Using IUD for Birth Control
This video by TV360 offers you expert advice on the risks of using an IUD for birth control.
-
Giving Birth Naturally Part 2/2
This video by TV360 offers you expert advice on natural child birth and what it entails.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-31-2010 @ 3:35PM
Mia said...The recession is a great form of birth control for the fiscally responsible. If a couple (or single parent) is seeing that there's a possibility that they may encounter financial danger in the near or not so distant future, the smart, responsible thing to do is put off having the child so as not to end up in a bad situation, or make the appropriate sacrifices to have their child now, as age or other unrelated factors may pressure a parent not to wait until the economic climate improves. Of course, then there are those who don't care, have their kids anyway, knowing that they won't have to support them. That's what the government's for. Sorry for the political statement, but this is, in fact, the truth. You don't see any reports about welfare recipients being more responsible about their financial situation...
Reply