ATLANTA — U.S. births fell in 2008, probably because of the recession, updated government figures confirm. The one exception to the trend was the birth rate among women in their 40s, who perhaps felt they didn’t have the luxury of waiting for better economic times.
The birth rate for women in their early 40s rose a surprising 4 percent over the previous year, reaching its highest mark since 1967. The rate for women in their late 40s also rose, slightly.
But birth rates fell for teen mothers, as well as women in their 20s and 30s.
The report was issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s based on a review of more than 99 percent of birth certificates for the year 2008 — the first full year of the recession. Overall, about 4.2 million babies were born that year, a 2 percent drop from 2007.
