Younger Mothers

The hand that rocks the cradle in the U.S. is getting younger. In its current Bulletin, the Population Reference Bureau of Washington predicts that virtually all U.S. babies may eventually be born to women under 35.

In an earlier day, many a mother had babies after 40; today the birth rate in that age group is only half what it was in 1918. The birth rate for teen-aged women (15 to 19) has increased one-third, while that for the 35 to 39 group has decreased one-third.

The Bulletin finds this trend good: it helps reduce infant and maternal mortality, gives women "a greater opportunity to become active in the general affairs of the nation."

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