By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Despite the recent report that the cost of having children has been soaring, the number of US births have reached a record high. As ABC reports, the National Center for Health Statistics just reported a major milestone: more babies were born in 2007 than any other year in US history.
All signs are pointing to a new American baby boom, as 2007 beat the previous record in 1957 which was the height of the original baby boom. With 4, 315,000 babies born in 2007, historians are left scratching their heads as the previous baby boom was attributed to the prosperity of the post-war years and yet we are currently experiencing just the opposite.
Although it seems counterintuitive to be procreating in such dismal economic times, looking a little closer at the current baby boom reveals a plausible explanation. The difference between now and earlier years is that more women are actually having fewer children; as opposed to the 1950’s where women had about 4 children each. The pool of potential mothers has also expanded greatly since earlier times as women are giving birth later in life and babies born to unwed mothers is at all time high.
Demographers say the main reason for the increased births is a result of immigration as Hispanic immigrants have the fastest rising birth rate. There is a plus side, experts say, to this population increase. These kids will eventually grow up, enter the work force, pay taxes, and help replenish the social security funds currently being depleted by the original baby boomers.
There is a downside, of course, to this rapid population increase. All of these kids will be competing for the same financial aid and universities- although it will be about 16 years before we have to worry about that. The obvious trouble with the population increase is the limited resources and environmental issues we are already experiencing, which will only get worse. More kids means more diapers, food, and eventually cars on the road. Hopefully this new generation of baby boomers will be growing up ‘green’.
译文:
美国出生率创历史新高
by Colleen Hurley, 儿童营养专家
尽管据最近一份报导所言，抚养孩子的费用在增加，可美国出生率还是创了历史新高。据ABC报导，全国卫生统计中心刚刚公布了一个重要里程碑：2007年出生的婴儿比美国历史上任何一年都要多。
所有的迹象都指向了一个新的美国婴儿潮，因为在2007年的纪录击败了此前在1957年作为原始婴儿潮的高度的纪录。2007年有4 ， 315000名婴儿出生，这使得历史学家百思不得其解，因为先前婴儿潮的原因是繁荣的战后多年，可我们现在的经历与之正好相反。
在这样一个令人沮丧的经济状况下，生儿育女似乎是件违反常规的事，但是近距离地剖析现今的婴儿潮，我们可以找到似乎合理的解释。现在与过去的不同之处在于更多的女性实际上生育了更少的孩子，这跟50年代每个女性大约生育4个孩子的情况是恰恰相反的。因为晚育和未婚先孕的女性达到了前所未有的数字，所以潜在的妈妈军团已经自早些时候开始不断壮大。
人口统计学将出生率增长的主要原因归结于移民，因为拉美裔移民拥有最高增长的出生率。据专家所言，这次的人口增长还有另一个需关注的方面。这些孩子终会长大，进入职场，成为纳税人，帮助补充社会保障资金，而这项资金恰恰被最初的婴儿潮耗尽。
当然，这样的快速人口增长正慢慢缓下脚步。所有这些孩子们将为同样的财政援助和大学竞争，尽管这离我们该担心的时候还有大约16年。人口增长所带来的最大问题在于越来越有限的资源和我们正面临的环境问题，而这些问题只会变得更糟。更多的孩子意味着更多的尿布、食物，甚至是路上更多的轿车。希望这次婴儿潮的新一代能在成长中给地球更添“绿色”！