Births: Preliminary Data for 2008

TLDR: In this article, the authors presented preliminary data for 2008 on births in the United States, showing that the number and rate of births decreased for the three largest race and Hispanic origin groups in 2008.

Abstract: Objectives—This report presents preliminary data for 2008 on births in the United States. U.S. data on births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented. Methods—Data in this report are based on 99.9 percent of births for 2008. The records are weighted to independent control counts of all births received in state vital statistics offices in 2008. Comparisons are made with preliminary 2007 data. Results— • The preliminary number of 2008 US births was 4,251,095, down nearly 2 percent from the 2007 peak; the 2008 general fertility rate (68.7 per 1,000) also declined. The number and rate of births decreased for the three largest race and Hispanic origin groups in 2008. • The birth rate for US teenagers 15-19 fell 2 percent in 2008 to 41.5 per 1,000, reversing a brief two-year increase that had halted the long-term decline from 1991 to 2005. The birth rate for Hispanic teenagers declined to an historic low. • The birth rates for women in their twenties (the primary childbearing ages) fell 2 to 3 percent. • The birth rate for unmarried women declined about 2 percent to 52.0 per 1,000 aged 15