Birth rate, prenatal care to decline in 2023, CDC report says

This may not seem like much, but when you’re pregnant, prenatal care is paramount. Early and adequate prenatal care is thought to promote healthy pregnancies through screening and management of risk factors and health conditions, and to promote healthy behaviors during pregnancy, according to a June 2019 study in Clinical obstetrics and gynecology.

To compound the alarming situation, the number of people waiting until their second or third trimester to receive care has also increased. According to the report, the percentage of people seeking care in the first trimester has dropped from 78.3 percent in 2021 to 76.1 percent in 2023. In fact, the number of people receiving care late or not at all has been steadily increasing since 2016.

The report did not provide an explanation for these numbers. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, financial and socioeconomic factors, as well as racial disparities, can lead to a lack of access to appropriate care, but that has always been the case. Why the numbers are dropping now is still under investigation.

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Birth and fertility rates also fell

The U.S. birth and fertility rates fell again last year. Just under 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2023, a 2 percent decline from 2022. The fertility rate also fell 3 percent, from 56 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2022 to 54.5 births per 1,000 in 2023.

This decline isn’t necessarily new, however. Since the country’s most recent peak in 2007, the number of births has fallen 17 percent and the overall fertility rate has fallen 21 percent, the report said. Despite a slight unexpected increase in births in 2021 (following COVID-19 lockdowns), according to a report by Scientific Americannumbers have generally been steadily declining.

The report also found that the teenage birth rate continues to decline, with the rate for teens ages 15 to 19 dropping 4 percent from 2022 to 2023.

For free or reduced-price prenatal care, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website or call 1-800-311-2229 to contact a health department in your area. You can also find free or reduced-price prenatal care at select Planned Parenthood clinics.