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US Fertility Rate Continues Its Downward Trend, CDC Data Confirm
The decline reflects fewer obstetric providers, more labor unit closures and a growing shift to midwife-led birth centers, researchers said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year's U.S. fertility rate hit a record low, with approximately 53 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, down from 54 the previous year.
Economic pressures are driving the decline, as LendingTree reports the average cost to raise a child exceeds more than $300,000, while University of Pennsylvania research shows the marriage rate has fallen 60 percent over five decades.
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found more than a third of Idaho's OB-GYNs have left since the August 2022 abortion ban, leaving just 170 obstetricians for roughly one million women.
Midwife-Run centers are becoming popular in rural Western states, according to a Commonwealth Fund report published on Tuesday; expectant mothers like former obstetric nurse Kara Holden now map contingency plans including emergency room locations.
President Donald Trump considered a $5,000 "baby bonuses" proposal for new moms, while billionaire Elon Musk has warned that fertility declines could threaten civilization, signaling policymakers view the issue as urgent.