Skip to main content

Trends in U.S. Birth Patterns Described for 2020, 2021, 2022

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 24, 2023 -- The number of births was unchanged in the United States from 2021 to 2022, and the general fertility rate decreased 1 percent, according to a data brief published online Aug. 23 by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues described changes in birth patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic years using data from the National Vital Statistics System.

The researchers found that following an increase of 1 percent in the number of births in the United States from 2020 to 2021, there was essentially no change in the number of births from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, the general fertility rate decreased 1 percent to 56.0 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 44 years, following a 1 percent increase from 2020 to 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, birth rates declined for age groups 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 years and increased for age groups 25 to 29 and 35 to 44 years, similar to the pattern seen in 2020 to 2021. There was no change in the cesarean delivery rate from 2021 to 2022, which remained at 32.1 percent; from 2020 to 2021, the rate increased 1 percent. Following a 4 percent increase in the preterm birth rate from 2020 to 2021, there was a 1 percent decline in the rate to 10.38 percent in 2022.

"U.S. birth certificate data for 2022 show modest changes in some childbearing and perinatal health indicators compared with changes observed for 2020 and 2021, the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted August 2023

Read this next

Small Number of Procedures Account for Large Number of Opioid Prescriptions

FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- A small number of surgical procedures, including orthopedic procedures and cesarean delivery, account for a large proportion of opioid prescriptions...

COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...

NT-proBNP, IL-1RL Can Identify High-Risk Congenital Heart Disease in Neonates

MONDAY, June 24, 2024 -- Automated quantitative tests for NT-proBNP and interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (IL-1 RL1) can identify high-risk congenital heart disease (CHD) in newborns...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.