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SCIENCE Friday 22 May 2020
U.S. births fall, and virus could drive them down more

By MIKE STOBBE find themselves with great-
AP Medical Writer er opportunity to conceive,
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. births he said.
continued to fall last year, But others say it's more likely
leading to the fewest num- births will plummet.
ber of newborns in 35 years. The idea that there will be
The decline is the latest sign a lot of "coronababies"
of a prolonged national is "widely perceived as
"baby bust" that's been go- a myth," said Hans-Peter
ing on for more than a de- Kohler, a University of Penn-
cade. sylvania fertility researcher.
And some experts believe The debate most demog-
the coronavirus pandem- raphers are having is not
ic and its impact on the about whether there will be
economy will suppress the a decline, but whether it
numbers further. will be lasting, he said.
"This unpredictable environ- "The decline due to COV-
ment, and anxiety about ID-19 might be different giv-
the future, is going to make en the extent and severity
women think twice about of the crisis, and the long-
having children," said Dr. lasting uncertainty that is
Denise Jamieson, chair of caused by it," Kohler wrote
obstetrics and gynecology in an email.
at Emory University. This Feb. 16, 2017 file photo shows newborn babies in the nursery of a postpartum recovery center Other highlights from the
The latest numbers were re- in upstate New York. Associated Press CDC report:
leased Wednesday by the — Birth rates fell last year
Centers for Disease Control been falling every year but not because of short- Brady Hamilton, the CDC for nearly all age groups up
and Prevention. The report, since 2007, when a reces- term cycles in hiring. Many report's lead author. The im- to 34 years old, but rose for
which is considered prelimi- sion hit the country. The jobs are low-paying and pact of the last few months' women in their early 40s.
nary, is based on a review drop continued even after unstable, and that cou- events won't become clear — The birth rate for 15– to
of more than 99% of birth the economy rebounded. pled with high rents and in maternity wards until late 19-year-olds dropped 5%
certificates issued last year. Experts say there are a other factors have caused this year or early next, he from 2019. It's fallen almost
The CDC found the num- number of causes, but women and couples to be said. every year since 1991.
ber of births fell about 1% chief among them are shift- much more cautious about Santelli said it's possible — The cesarean delivery
from 2018, to about 3.7 mil- ing attitudes about mother- having kids, said Dr. John births will go up, at least rate dropped to under 32%.
lion. Birth rates continued to hood: Many women and Santelli, a Columbia Univer- among some groups. Ac- — The percentage of in-
fall for teen moms and for couples delay childbearing sity professor of population cess to birth control and fants born at less than 37
women in their 20s. and have fewer kids once and family health. abortion has become weeks of gestation inched
Aside from a one-year up- they start. It's unclear what will hap- more difficult, and some up for the fifth year in a row,
tick in 2014, U.S. births have The economy is a factor, pen to births this year, said homebound couples may to more than 10%.q

How should I clean and store my face mask?

The Associated Press an assistant professor at
How should I clean and the University of Alabama
store my face mask? at Birmingham's School of
Cloth face masks worn dur- Nursing. It is best to clean
ing the coronavirus pan- your mask in a washing ma-
demic should be washed chine or with soap and hot
regularly, according to the water. The mask should be
U.S. Centers for Disease dried completely. Dry it in a
Control and Prevention. hot dryer, if possible.
Public health experts rec- Watts advises storing the
ommend wearing a mask clean, dry mask in a new
made from cotton fabric, paper bag to keep it safe
such as T-shirts, or scarves from germs.
and bandannas, when you The CDC has urged peo-
are outside and unable to ple to use washable cloth
maintain social distancing coverings to ensure there
from others. The covering are enough surgical and
should be washed daily N95 masks for medical
after use, says Penni Watts, workers.q

Quebec Premier Francois Legault puts on a Montreal Canadiens face mask as he finishes the
daily COVID-19 press briefing, Thursday, May 21, 2020 in Montreal.
linda.reijnders@cspnv.com Associated Press