Pregnancy Info

There are many types of pregnancy statistics. This article offers teen pregnancy statistics, fertility statistics, stats on pregnancy risks and complications, and some stats on abortion, miscarriage, still born births, and other pregnancy statistics.

Pregnancy statistics cannot predict what will happen in an individual woman’s pregnancy, but they create a picture of pregnancy in the United States.

There are 60 million women and girls of childbearing age (15 to 44) in the United States. About 70% of these women are sexually active, and 95% of those use some form of birth control. Pregnancy statistics show that each year about 6 million women and teens get pregnant. Half of these pregnancies are unplanned, meaning they were accidental or not the timing desired by the mother. About 4 million of these pregnancies result in live births. 2 million pregnancies are lost. Pregnancy statistics about those that are lost say:

• Over half of those lost pregnancies are due to abortion, either because of health problems or because the pregnancy was unwanted. Abortion accounts for about 20%, or 1 in 5, of all pregnancies.
• 30% of diagnosed pregnancies are lost due to miscarriage, or 1 in 10 pregnancies.
• Less than 4% of pregnancy loss is due to molar or ectopic pregnancy, or about 1 percent of all pregnancies.
• There are fewer than 30,000 stillbirths every year, or about 1 in 200 pregnancies.

Other pregnancy statistics in the US:

• The average number of children is about 2.
• About 15% of women do not have children in the course of their lives.
• The number of children being born has declined in recent decades, but now seems stable. The numbers of babies born within races has changed, with Hispanics having the most growth.
• 21% percent of infants are born into poverty, and the number is increasing. Poverty affects 35 % of Black, 29% of Hispanic, and 10% of White children.
• About 25% of babies are born to mothers who are not married to or living with the baby's father. Almost 40% are born to unmarried parents. Babies of single mothers are significantly more likely to live in poverty and have decreased chances of success in life.
• About 66% percent of babies are breastfed initially, though less than 20% are breastfed for 1 year as recommended by doctors.
• Fewer than 1 percent of babies born in the US die before their first birthday.
• About 95% of Americans agree that being a parent is worth the cost and challenges.

Fertility statistics

While some people choose not to have children, or have unplanned pregnancies, infertility can be heartbreaking for people who want children.

• 6 million US women are infertile.
• 1 in 10 couples struggle with infertility.
• Between 1 and 2% of Americans adopt children, and there is a high demand by couples who want to adopt babies.

Pregnancy statistics for risks and complications during pregnancy

Some pregnancy risks and complications are the result of poor lifestyle choices or lack of information on the part of one or both parents, while others are natural risks associated with pregnancy.

• Almost 1 in 6 pregnant women experience some form of pregnancy complication.
• 68 million women and men have an STD, and over 15 million teens and adults acquire an STD every year, which can cause infertility or pregnancy complications.
• Almost 1 in 6 women smoke while pregnant, and nearly as many drink alcohol while pregnant. About 4% of women abuse drugs while pregnant. .
• Women are twice as likely to be the victims of domestic violence while pregnant, and almost half of domestic abuse begins during pregnancy. About 4% of pregnant women, or 1 in 25, suffer from domestic violence.
• Nearly half a million babies born each year don't get adequate prenatal care.
• Almost half a million babies are born prematurely, accounting for more than 12 % of live births.
• Close to 8% of babies have a low birth weight.
• About 4% of live births have a birth defect of some kind.
• It is very rare for women in the US to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, and of the few women who do, most do not receive adequate medical care during pregnancy.

Teen pregnancy statistics 

About half a million babies are born to teen mothers every year, or more than 1 in 10 live births. Teens also account for slightly more than 1 in 10 pregnancies. The babies of teen mothers have increased risk for health problems, and, if raised by a single teen mother, poverty, neglect, and low educational attainment. Overall the number of teen pregnancies has been declining in recent years.

Sources:

American Pregnancy Association, "Statistics" [online]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth" [online]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Unitended Pregnancy Prevention: Home, "Unitended Prengany" [online]

Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Childstats.gov, "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well Being, 2009" [online]