U.S. fertility rates have decreased as the average age of first-time mothers has increased.
Total fertility rates dropped 12% in rural counties, 16% in small or medium metro areas, and 18% in large metro counties — yet disparities between rural and metro counties widened.
In 2007, rural fertility rates were 5% higher than those of metro counties. In 2017, that difference increased to 14%.
The average age of first-time mothers increased by 1.3 years in rural counties, 1.5 years in small or medium metro counties, and 1.8 years in large metro counties.
In 2017, the mean age of first-mothers in rural areas was 24.5 years old and those in larger cities were 27.7.
That marks a change from 2007, when the average mom’s age was 23.2 years in rural areas and 25.9 in larger metro areas.
The data, released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was taken from the National Vital Statistics System from 2007 to 2017.
Dr. David Kreiner — a Reproductive Endocrinologist in New York and founder of Long Island IVF — feels the women’s liberation movement has caused young adult women to focus more on their professions than having children.
“High school graduates are going to college and often deferring starting a family in order to establish their careers,” Dr. Kriener explained. “The unfortunate side effect of this social change has been the decreased fertility women face when trying to conceive at an older age. As women age their number of potential eggs that are available to conceive with decrease.”
The changes reached across racial lines.
“Furthermore, the percentage of eggs that are genetically normal also decreases hence statistically, fewer women are able to conceive without professional help when they are ready to start their families. Fortunately, today women can freeze their eggs while still young and fertile and these may be fertilized years later when the time is right,” Kreiner said.
