Births in the United States increased by one percent last year.However, the number of babies born in 2021 was still lower than before the coronavirus pandemic.In 2020, the U.S. had its largest one year drop in births in nearly 50 years.But a recent government report states there were still about 86,000 fewer births last year than in 2019.Dr. Denise Jamieson is head of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine.She said, "We're still not returning to pre-pandemic levels."U.S. births had been decreasing for more than 10 years before COVID-19 hit, and "I would expect that we would continue to see small decreases," she added.Deliveries were lower in January 2021 but improved as the year went on, said Brady Hamilton.He is with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the lead writer of the new report.He noted that much of the increase was seen in older mothers.
