Let’s Talk Health: Women are waiting a little longer to have kids

Twenty-six is the new average age of first-time mothers in the U.S., which is an all-time high, new data shows.

So, women are waiting a little longer to have kids; why does that matter? Well, because the higher average age of first-time moms is, in part, due to a decrease in teen pregnancies – an issue that long has been a struggle for many areas, including the Central Valley.

Experts have different ideas as to why this is, but many are crediting a boost in sexual health education. Women may also be choosing to wait longer because of greater education and employment opportunities.

The data, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, show that in 2014, Asian or Pacific Islander first-time mothers had the oldest average age at 29.5. American Indian or Alaska Native mothers had the youngest at 23.1.

The report shows a significant drop in births to mothers under 20. From 2000-2014, births to young women dropped by 42 percent.

According to an article by The Associated Press, the government began tracking the age of new mothers in the 1970s. Back then, the average age was 21, and it has slowly climbed over time. A rapid increase in the average age of first-time moms, as reported by the AP, came soon after the legalization of abortion in 1973. Experts say improvements in birth control and sexual health education also have played a significant role.

But what are we seeing locally?

Information by the 2014 American Community Survey, shows that 30 percent of births that previous year were among women between ages 25 and 29. Twenty-three percent of births were by women aged 30 to 34, and 22 percent were by women between 20 and 24.

Merced County, however, also has one of the largest proportions in the state of mothers aged 15 to 19. Nine percent of births in 2013 were to mothers in this age group. The only county with a larger percentage of teen moms was Madera County with 15 percent, according to the survey.

But there also is a growing group of older moms, the data shows. Nine percent of the births calculated in the survey were among mothers in the 35-to-39 age group. Older groups also help skew the average age of first-time moms.

For the Valley, the average age of first-time mothers can be a story of income and education.

Katie McCrimmon, spokeswoman for Nurse-Family Partnership, a national nonprofit that serves low-income, first-time moms, said there is a correlation between a first-time mother’s age and income. Rural areas with higher poverty rates usually have a harder time lowering the rate of teen pregnancies.

The program, which serves more than 20 counties in California, including Merced, pairs qualifying women with a registered nurse for home visitations throughout the mother’s pregnancy and until the child’s second birthday. The average age of the program’s clients is 19, McCrimmon said.

“What we’re seeing nationally is more women at all income levels becoming mothers much later,” McCrimmon said. “They wait until they are economically self-sufficient because raising a baby is expensive.”

One of the goals of the Nurse-Family Partnership is to encourage young moms to wait to have a second baby by providing them resources and mentoring.

The data released by the CDC also shows that the average age differs by state. The average age of first-time moms has increased more in California, for example, than in most of the country.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 6:58 PM with the headline "Let’s Talk Health: Women are waiting a little longer to have kids."