Teen Births in DuPage County, Illinois

Introduction

Teenage births in DuPage County are much lower than in other Illinois counties, and the DuPage teen birth rate compares favorably to the Illinois rate, the U.S. rate, and to the rates of other developed countries including Canada and Great Britain. Through the 1990s, teen birth rates for Canada and Great Britain have been less than half of the U.S. rate ¹. This report will present data for teen births in DuPage County, Illinois, and the United States. It will also include information from the Healthy People 2010, Section 9: Family Planning.

Teen pregnancy rates are estimated from the number of live births, the number of induced abortions, and fetal losses. The most recent year in which teen pregnancy rates were calculated was 1996. The rate computed for the United States was 98.7 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19. Estimates of teen pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for DuPage County are not available so we rely on teen birth rates as the principal indicator. It should be clear that the issue of teen births shouldn’t be separated from the issue of teenage pregnancy even though we are not currently measuring teen pregnancy rates at the local level. ²

Problems associated with unintended pregnancy in teenagers are well documented. Teenaged mothers are less likely to marry and less likely to complete school. Teenaged mothers are more likely to require public assistance, and more likely to live in poverty. Infants born to teenaged mothers are more likely to suffer from low birth weight and neonatal death. Infants born to teenaged mothers are at greater risk of child abuse and neglect. Research indicates that two years following the first birth, teenaged mothers have a second birth at about the same rate as other mothers. ³

The statistical information in this report will be presented in several forms, and for different age groups.One primary indicator is the age specific teen birth rate. This is comparable to rates calculated for Illinois and the Nation. Additional trending is presented as a percent of all births and the number of births for various age groups. This is comparable to trends calculated for other Illinois counties and for the state of Illinois.

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¹ Darroch JE, Singh S, and Frost JF, Differences in Teenage Pregnancy Rates Among Five Developed Countries: The Roles of Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use, Family Planning Perspectives, 2001, 33(6):244-250 & 281

² Ventura, SJ, Mathews, TJ, and Curtin, SC. Declines in Teenage Birth Rates, 1991-98: Update of National and State Trends. National Vital Statistics Report 47(26), 1999.

³ Ventura, SJ, Mathews, TJ, and Hamilton, BE. Births to Teenagers in the United States, 1940-2000. National Vital Statistics Report 49(10) 2001.

⁴ Ventura, SJ, Mathews, TJ, and Hamilton, BE. Teenage Births in the United States: State Trends, 1991-2000, an Update. National Vital Statistics Report 50(19) 2002.

⁵ Ventura, SJ, Mathews, TJ, and Hamilton, BE. Births to Teenagers in the United States, 1940-2000. National Vital Statistics Report 49(10) 2001.

⁶ Ventura, SJ, Mathews, TJ, and Hamilton, BE. Births to Teenagers in the United States, 1940-2000. National Vital Statistics Report 49(10) 2001.

⁷ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People HP2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000. 2(9).

⁸ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People HP2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000. 2(9).

⁹ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People HP2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000. 2(9)

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