This report is the U.S. government's annual monitoring report on the status of America's children. The adolescent birth rate, in particular, has dropped to the lowest level ever recorded. This is a true success story.
Child rearing during adolescence is a hardship on mothers, their children, and society.
The birth rate for teenagers reached a record low of 30 births per 1000 girls ages 15 to 17 in 1998, showing a steady decline from the rate of 39 per 1,000 in 1991. The decline in childhood death rates was also striking, according to Edward Sondik, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Health Statistics. The leading cause of death for children was unintentional injuries, many resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Over two-thirds of children age one to 14 whose deaths were attributed to motor vehicle crashes in 1997 were not in car seats or wearing safety belts at the time of the crash. The adolescent death rate also continued to decline in recent years, but not as rapidly as did the rate for children.