The years-long U.S. baby drought worsened last year, with births dropping 4% from 2019 to the lowest level since 1979.
The provisional data for 2020, at 3.6 million births, marks the sixth annual drop in a row. The decline will likely continue in 2021, when the brunt of the impact from the pandemic will be recorded — with a nine-month delay.
Fears of contracting the virus while pregnant, or while in hospital to give birth, combined with job insecurity and government measures limiting social contact and business activity, dissuaded Americans from having babies, according to surveys by Ovia Health, a women’s health technology company.
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