ABC News examines rise in U.S. births to women over 40
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Topics in This Edition
Summary
ABC News reports on the rising share of U.S. births to women over age 40, citing a 318% increase over four decades amid declining rates among younger women due to costs. Segments cover medical risks such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preterm birth, and low birth weight, plus declining natural conception rates after age 37. Personal stories include Patty Avery Schmidt giving birth at 45 and Deirdre Diener using IVF with donor eggs at 44, now mother to a seven-year-old at age 51. Coverage notes increasing insurance and employer coverage for treatments and highlights benefits like better work-life balance for later parents.
Editorial Assessment
The segment accurately reflects documented CDC trends in older maternal age births and correctly outlines established medical risks from sources like ACOG and Hopkins. It provides useful context on assisted reproduction costs and access but offers limited data on overall fertility rates or long-term child outcomes. Viewers may miss nuances around the gradual nature of fertility decline before 40 or aggregate birth rate declines across all ages. Framing is balanced, emphasizing both challenges and successes without overstating prevalence or safety.
Key Moments
More American women giving birth after age 40, rising 318% over last four decades
CDC data show births to women 40+ rose from 1.2% to 4.1% of total (over threefold); fertility rates for 40-44 up 127% since 1990.
Natural likelihood of conception starts to drop around age 37
Medical sources confirm fertility decline accelerates after 35-37, with monthly natural pregnancy chances falling sharply.
Risks include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, premature birth, decreased birth weight
Confirmed across ACOG, Cleveland Clinic, and Hopkins Medicine resources on advanced maternal age complications.
IVF and donor eggs costly but insurance and companies increasingly covering procedures and medications
Trend toward expanded coverage exists but remains uneven by plan and state; no specific statistics provided.
Sources Consulted
- Births: Final Data for 2023 - CDC National Vital Statistics Reports
- More women over 40 are having children than ever before - InvestigateTV
- Advanced Maternal Age - Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Thinking About Having a Baby in Your Late 30s or 40s? - ACOG
- Female Fertility Age Chart - Reproductive Medicine Associates
