Falling birth rate.

• Position: Stateline - Brief Article

American women had even fewer babies last year, putting the birth rate at a record low. The rate was 13.9 per 1,000 people in 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced. That compares with 14.1 a year ago. The most recent high was 16.7 in 1990. The latest figure is the lowest on records that go back to the turn of the 20th century. A major factor in the decline has been the...