The number of babies born to teenage mothers has dropped to a record low in California, continuing a sharp downward trend that began in the 1990s, the state Department of Public Health announced Monday.
In Ventura County, the teen birth rate also dropped slightly, after what had been a sharp upward spike a year earlier.
Statewide, there were 37.1 births for every 1,000 women under 20 in 2007, the year reported in the newly compiled statistics. That is down from 37.8 in 2006, and slightly below the previous low of 37.2 in 2005.
In Ventura County, the rate dropped to 26.5 in 2007 from 26.9 in 2006. Both numbers are significantly higher than the low of 23.2 reported in 2005.
Since 1991, the rate of teen births in California has dropped 48 percent, a trend that state officials say is a healthy advance, since teen births often pose health threats to both mothers and infants.
“The record low teen birth rate is a significant public health achievement,” said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the state Department of Public Health. READ FULL STORY
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