| New Fertility Trends |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- March 8, 2010 Contact: Stephanie Coontz; coontzs@msn.com; 360.352.8117; 360.556.9223 (cell) FERTILITY INCREASES OF EARLY 21ST CENTURY WERE REVERSED IN 2008-09, REPORTS COUNCIL ON CONTEMPORARY FAMILIES RECESSION MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DECLINE According to recent news reports (e.g., New York Times, March 1, 2010), American birth rates rose during the first decade of the 21st century, and America has now reached the highest number of births ever recorded. This information comes from the annual report on births and pregnancy in the United States, published in the January 2010 edition of the journal Pediatrics. But demographer Steven Martin of the Maryland Population Research Center points out that these data are from 2007, and "recent demographic trends have suddenly made the 2007 data obsolete." In fact, says Martin, "fertility fell slightly in 2008, dropping back to between 2005 and 2006 levels, and then fell more rapidly in early 2009." Martin suspects that the decline in fertility will turn out to be an effect of the recession, but "since fertility is a measure with a built-in 9 month lag, it will be some time before we see how far fertility has fallen as a result of the recession." When new figures come out in early 2011, CCF will issue an update and fact sheet on fertility trends. Meanwhile, for questions regarding current fertility trends, please contact Steven Martin, Affiliate, Maryland Population Research Center: smartin@socy.umd.edu. ABOUT CCF: The Council on Contemporary Families is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best-practice findings about American families. Our members include demographers, economists, family therapists, historians, political scientists, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, as well as other family social scientists and practitioners. Founded in 1996 and based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Council's mission is to enhance the national understanding of how and why contemporary families are changing, what needs and challenges they face, and how these needs can best be met. CCF will hold its annual conference this year at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, on Friday 4/16 and Saturday 4/17, 2010. Featuring leading researchers and practitioners from around the nation, the conference will address the theme "Families as They Really Are: How Do We Use What We Know?" Speakers will address new research on close relationships, including new findings in the fields of couples therapy, divorce mediation, parenting, sexuality, and family health. To receive regular briefing papers from the Council, or a complimentary press pass to the conference, contact CCF's Director of Research and Public Education, Stephanie Coontz, at coontzs@msn.com. |
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