Birth rates decline across the country, but not in the Chattanooga area

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The number of babies born in the U.S. fell to a new low last year.

That's according to data from the CDC. The agency says the U.S. birth rate fell to its lowest level since 1979.

Experts say economic uncertainty because of the pandemic could be partially behind the decline.

Across the U.S., births have declined, but births are actually on the rise in the Chattanooga region. Erlanger Health System tells us they are on track to have more births this year than last.

For expecting mother Hannah Reed, it’s taken weeks to get her nursery ready for her new arrival.

"We're kind of in a waiting game right now," said Reed who is due June 26th.

Her family is growing this yea rand preparing to welcome a little girl the family has already named Stella Reed.

SEE MORE: Most popular baby names in the U.S. for 2020, and fast-rising baby names

"My husband and I have talked about even before we were engaged, kids have always been something that we wanted," said Reed.

For the Reeds, the pandemic didn’t factor into their decision to have a baby now.

"We've been married a year and a half. And we just felt like the time was right," said Reed.

But on the national scale CDC data shows that’s not the case, with births declining 4 percent this year to their lowest rate in nearly 50 years.

Katie Foss is an MTSU professor of Media Studies. She says the declining rate nationally has a lot to do with economic uncertainty.

"How many people were either furloughed or laid off due to the pandemic? And that's where I think we'll see a little bit more of a dip over the last year," said Foss.

The decline is also part of a larger trend.

"Overall, the birth rate across the country has been generally declining. Just as people become more busy, families are smaller. They're not having these large, four or five, six children families anymore," said Dr. Chris Innes, Erlanger's OB Chief and OB Hospitalist.

Foss adds that this decline is also due in part to more millennials deciding to have kids later in life, or not having children at all.

"What we're seeing is a growing acceptance of not only like child-free choices, but also just this option to wait until you're more established in your career," said Foss.

While Innes says births have declined over the years here in Chattanooga, the pandemic is seemingly having little effect on births in our region.

Dr. Innes says Erlanger and Parkridge are averaging more than 600 new births a month, and that the hospitals are on track to surpass the number of babies delivered last year.

According to Innes, for both Parkridge and Erlanger:

• From fiscal year '18 -'19, there were 7,537 births.
• From fiscal year '19-'20, there were 7,600 births.
• And so far this year, there have been 6,205 births.
  

"Using those numbers, we should actually surpass last year's fiscal year in delivering," said Dr. Innes.

Meaning in our area, the Reed family is just one of many undeterred by the pandemic and ready to become a family of three.

"I just can't wait to bring her into the family and watch everybody love on her and just watch her grow," said Reed.