ATLANTA — After falling four years in a row, U.S. births might be leveling off. The number of babies born last year, a little shy of 4 million, is only a few hundred less than the number in 2011, according to a government report released Friday.
That suggests that fewer couples might be scared away from having children because of the economy or other factors, some experts say.
Highlights of the report include:
• The birth rate for all women of childbearing age — 63 births per 1,000 women — was essentially flat from the year before.
• Rates dropped for Latino women, 2 percent, and blacks, 1 percent. The rate stayed the same for whites, rose 4 percent for Asian-Americans, and fell slightly for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
• About 33 percent of births last year were delivered through Cesarean section — a rate unchanged from the previous two years.
