Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fertility Rate Hits Record Low In What Experts Call One Of 'Biggest Demographic Mysteries Of Recent Times'
The New York Times: Fertility Rate Fell To A Record Low, For A Second Straight Year
The fertility rate in the United States fell to a record low for a second straight year, federal officials reported Thursday, extending a deep decline that began in 2008 with the Great Recession. The fertility rate fell to 60.2 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, down 3 percent from 2016, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. It was the largest single-year decline since 2010, when families were still feeling the effects of a weak economy. (Tavernise, 5/16)
The Associated Press: US Births Hit A 30-Year Low, Despite Good Economy
Experts said several factors may be combining to drive the declines, including shifting attitudes about motherhood and changing immigration patterns. The provisional report, based on a review of more than 99 percent of the birth certificates filed nationwide, counted 3.853 million births last year. That's the lowest tally since 1987. Births have been declining since 2014, but 2017 saw the greatest year-to-year drop — about 92,000 less than the previous year. (Stobbe, 5/17)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Births Hit Lowest Number Since 1987
The figures suggest that a number of women who put off having babies after the 2007-09 recession are forgoing them altogether. Kenneth M. Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire, estimates 4.8 million fewer babies were born after the recession than would have been born had fertility rates stayed at prerecession levels. “Every year I expect the number of births to go up and they don’t,” said Prof. Johnson. (Adamy, 5/17)
In other news on pregnancy and maternal health —
The Washington Post: Depression In Men May Lower Chances For Pregnancy, NIH Study Suggests
Women having trouble getting pregnant sometimes try yoga, meditation or mindfulness, and some research suggests that psychological stress may affect infertility. But what about men: Does their mental state affect a couple's ability to conceive? The latest research on this subject was published Thursday in the journal Fertility and Sterility and suggests that a link between mental health and fertility may exist for women and men. (Cha, 5/17)
The Washington Post: Surrogate Mothers Ask Supreme Court To Stop ‘Exploitation’ Of Women And Babies
Melissa Cook's story became headline news in 2015 when she was carrying triplets as a surrogate. The intended dad asked her to abort at least one of them, she says, because he couldn't afford to raise them all. She refused and has been fighting for custody of the children in court ever since. Cook and two other surrogate mothers — Gail Robinson and Toni Bare — are in Washington this week to call on the Supreme Court to provide more clarity on the rights of women and children in the controversial industry. The women, who have separately filed lawsuits in different states, say surrogacy contracts are exploitative to the birth mothers, create a class of women as breeders and commodify children. (Cha, 5/16)
California Healthline: Insurer Slashes Breast Pump Payments, Stoking Fears Fewer Moms Will Breastfeed
A sharp cut in breast pump payments by the nation’s second-largest health insurer has prompted a strong reaction from breastfeeding advocates, who warn that some new moms will not get the pumps they need and fewer babies will be breastfed. Starting last month, Anthem Inc. slashed the rate it reimburses medical suppliers for breast pumps by 44 percent — from $169.15 to $95. The move means some breast pumps that used to be free under a provision of the Affordable Care Act will now entail a cost to consumers, according to the advocacy group MomsRising. More complex pumps, which have always required an out-of-pocket payment, will now be more expensive. It’s unclear how many women will be affected. (Young, 5/17)
