Birthrates among young girls hit a 58-year low

The birthrate among adolescent and young teen girls in the United States fell sharply in the 1990s, hitting a 58-year low in 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported.

Researchers said the drop in births among girls age 10 to 14 might be a sign that programs emphasizing abstinence and other forms of birth control were having an effect on this high-risk group. They noted that the downward trend in births occurred despite a rise in the number of girls in this age group.

“A number of surveys have shown that in recent years fewer teenagers are sexually active, and they seem to be acting more responsibly,” said Fay Menacker, a CDC statistician and one of the authors of the study.

Young girls have a higher risk of delivering babies that are premature or have low birth weights.

These young mothers also are more likely to suffer hypertension and eclampsia, a serious condition marked by convulsions and seizures.

There were 7,315 babies born to girls age 10 to 14 in 2002, compared with 11,657 in 1990. The 2002 birthrate for this age group was 0.7 live births per 1,000 girls, one-half of the 1990 rate and the same rate as 1946.