Trends In First Births To Older Mothers 1970 79 PDF Download

Abstract: Trends and differentials in first births and first-birth rates to older women are described, together with the demographic characteristics of these mothers and the health of their infants. Attention is focused on trends in delayed childbearing since 1970, using graphics and tabulated data. First-birth rates for women of ages 25-39 have increased steadily since the early 1970s, with the largest increases noted for women in their early 30s (73% increase from 1972-79, to 12.1 first births/1000 women aged 30-34). The desire of many women to complete their education and become established in a career appears to be an important factor in the high incidence of postponed childbearing (in 1979, nearly 50% of first-time mothers aged 30-34 had completed 4 or more years of college, compared to 28% in 1970). The proportion of low birth weight infants was much lower for births to women of the same age who had completed college. (wz).