Introduction
Fertility and birth rates are influential on the lives of the world’s population, so it cannot be denied that the subject is worth discussing. The size of the workforce depends on both the number of consumers and the number of people who can be employed. As a result, the economies of the world’s countries are affected by these rates, which relates to opportunities to cooperate with other nations and develop. Of course, the sphere of health and medicine is tightly related to fertility and birth rates because of its connection with demographic health. Being among the most important measures of demographic health, these rates indicate the stability of the population, since the aging workforce must be replaced and tax revenue needs to be sufficient for the economy. Since they realize the effects of the fertility and birth rates, many countries have developed policies to encourage or discourage childbirth within their populations. Recent research studies developed by the National Center for Health Statistics showed that the fertility rate in the USA dropped dramatically for the second year in a row, falling to “60.2 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age” (Tavernise). This paper will discuss possible causes and influences of the observed alteration, emphasizing that it is a reality of the discipline but not yet an issue that requires an urgent resolution.
Historical Perspective
The US fertility rate identifying “the number of births out of 1,000 women between the ages of 15 to 44” was first measured at the beginning of the 1900s (Park). Since that time, a range of declines and increases has been observed. In the majority of cases, such changes were associated with economic conditions in the country. For instance, few children were born during those times when the country was affected by World War II. This is not surprising since many of the men who had to fight for the nation’s well-being were killed. In addition to that, people were affected by the lack of vital resources, such as food and clothing. Having realized that their children would have limited opportunities and their lives might be threatened, women were less likely to give birth, instead choosing to postpone raising children until better times.
Consequently, after the war, the baby boom occurred. People became enthusiastic about their future and started building families. As a result, the size of the workforce increased and economic development was created. Afterward, there was a steady decline in fertility and birth rates in the USA that became steeper during the economic crisis of the 21st century. According to studies about fertility rates, there were “122.9 births per 1,000 women” in 1957 and “60.2 births per 1,000 women” in 2017 (Park). These statistics reveal that after the World War II the population of the country increased enough to ensure country’s stable development. As adverse events are overcome, people have the opportunity to focus on their own well-being, as well as on the necessity of reconstructing their nation. However, dramatic drops that were initially triggered by the increased duration of life and improved opportunities were magnified by new issues faced by people and alterations in their values.
Increased Mothers’ Age
The latest research studies developed by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that, currently, the majority of women prefer to have children later in life than was normal several decades ago (Park). This change can be observed in many families, as today’s grandmothers were about 19 years old when they had their first child, today’s mothers had children in their early twenties, and their daughters have waited until they are about 30 years old. This tendency may be related to several reasons that are associated with people’s values.
There is a belief that all girls are willing to marry their first love and have children with him. If this is considered to be accurate, women would be likely to become mothers while younger than 20 years old because, in the majority of cases, they fall in love and start their first serious relationships at this time. Of course, some women are still focused on this idea. However, many of them do not believe in this kind of utopic relationship. As a result, while there are some girls who are married young, most tend to date their partners for years before they are sure that they have the support required to have a happy family. Contemporary people are more likely to believe that love is not as critical as future opportunity. They are ready and willing to wait for a person who is able to meet their needs instead of starting a family immediately. Both men and women prefer to obtain education and find a well-paid job before having children. As a result, they must postpone this event until their goals are accomplished.
In past years, women were not allowed to work. Their major task was to take care of their home and children. This meant that in order to fulfill their life’s purpose, it was critical to give birth. In view of this, they used to become mothers rather early and had many children. However, the situation is now different. Men and women are more equal which gives them the opportunity to occupy the same working positions and to earn similar amounts of money. Having the opportunity to be financially independent, women start having children only when they reach this goal. Park indicates that “the average age when women had their first child increased from 24.9 in 2000 to 26.3 in 2014” and “birth rates increased among women in their 30s and 40s”. This alteration shows that women now prefer spending several more years on education and career before becoming mothers.
Improvements in the sphere of healthcare provide women with the ability to postpone pregnancy. Women’s fertility and ability to give birth can be affected by new technologies and medicines so that they no longer need to focus on their biological clocks. It is even possible for some women who are infertile due to health issues or age to become mothers. Being aware of this fact, many women prefer to live a life focusing on their personal needs until they realize that they want to take care of someone else.
As a result of all these changes, the number of teens and young adults who become mothers has decreased. Many of them are focused on a desire to obtain education and well-paid jobs while others want to remain young as long as possible so that “the highest birthrates are now among women 25 to 34 years of age” (Cha). Millennials postpone parenthood, which is often beneficial for their health because many teen pregnancies are associated with complications due to their immature bodies. In view of this, the reduction of births in women who are less than 18-20 years old has prevented the incidence of health complications and lethal outcomes in both mothers and children.
It is also important to consider the fact that many pregnancies observed in women who are under 25 years old tend to be unplanned. It means that women may face the necessity of raising children without any support. They might be obliged to abandon their education because of pregnancy, which will prevent them from being able to find a stable job, causing them to deal with financial issues (Jaeger). Finally, women may give up children for adoption because of inability or unwillingness to take care of them. The fact that women become mothers later shows that their pregnancies are more likely to be planned. This may allow parents and children to have better lives.
The birthrate is also decreasing because the US does not face the need to increase its workforce, and many families have a limited ability to support their children. Previously, even young children worked alongside adults to benefit their families. They did not receive education at school on a regular basis but worked on farms or in factories (“How did Industrialization Alter the Family”). However, today children increase expenses but no longer help parents obtain more money. Parenthood is associated with large costs and some people cannot afford it. They wait for an opportunity to become wealthy but may never. The cost of parenthood results in the number of children in a family decreasing. During the 20th century, the majority of women had at least three or four children. Poor families often had even more. Parenthood was not so expensive at that time and children were able to assist in supporting their families financially. However, currently, people under the age of 18 are not encouraged or even allowed to work, which means that they are totally dependent on their parents. Thus, it is not surprising that many women decide to have no more than two kids.
Current Situation and Conclusion
After analyzing the situation, it can be argued that the birth and fertility rates in the USA have decreased because of the economic condition in the country and altered values of the population. Many women prefer having children when older than 25 because they are able to take the opportunity to become educated and financially independent (Rettner). Reduction of early pregnancies can provide the chance of avoiding health complications and lethal outcomes in both mothers and children. The birth rate dropping may be caused by the dominance of planning pregnancies, which is associated with happy and stable families. The statistical changes are affected by changes in women’s lifestyles since the beginning of the 20th century. The economic condition of the country influences whether adults are able to provide their children with everything necessary.
It seems as though the USA does not currently face the need to address the issue of low fertility and birth rates. The country’s workforce continues to increase, and the number of deaths is still lower than the number of births. Moreover, the fertility rate in the USA is higher than in many other developed countries, which means that it can be monitored further but no intervention is yet required.
Works Cited
Cha, Ariana. “The U.S. Fertility Rate Just Hit a Historic Low. Why Some Demographers Are Freaking Out.” The Washington Post, 2017. Web.
“How did Industrialization Alter the Family.” Foundations of Western Culture.
Jaeger, Kyle. “Why America Wants You to Have More Babies.” Attn, 2016. Web.
Park, Madison. “US Fertility Rate Falls to Lowest on Record.” CNN, 2016.
Rettner, Rachael. “US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low: What’s Behind the Decline?” LiveScience, 2018.
Tavernise, Sabrina. “U.S. Fertility Rate Fell to a Record Low, for a Second Straight Year.” New York Times, 2018.