BREAKING NEWS
Birth rate drops to lowest in a century
Posted: 08/27/2010
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By: Suzanne Murray
The number of babies born last year is the lowest in a century, and experts think the recession is to blame.
They say the sluggish economy may have more couples putting of having children. Numbers released today by the National Center For Health Statistics shows that about 4,136,000 babies were born in 2009. That's down 2.7 percent from 2008.
The study shows the birth rate, which takes into account changes in the population, fell to 13.5 births for every 1,000 people last year. That's down from 14.3 in 2007 and way down from 30 in 1909, when it was common for people to have big families.
More babies were born in 2007 than any other year in the nation's history.
Experts say it could take a few years for the trend to turn around. They say a drop in immigration may have also have contributed to the birth rate drop.
Copyright 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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