Family Planning

By Harriet Barovick, Victoria Rainert, Heather Won Tesoriero, Roy B. White, Rebecca Winters

The U.S. BIRTHRATE in 2000 reached its highest point since 1971, 2.1 CHILDREN per woman, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report released last week. For the first time in nearly 30 years, America has reached its replacement rate--births in the nation are offsetting deaths. This ends three decades in which the U.S. population grew only because of immigration. POSSIBLE CAUSES: A booming economy, which often nudges birthrates, increasing numbers of women having babies in their 40s, and a high rate of fertility among the growing Hispanic population. Only one demographic saw a decline: the TEEN BIRTHRATE is down 22% from its record high of 62 births per 1,000 females in 1991.