Teen births fell again in the United States in 2010, with the highest rate once more in Mississippi, according to a new government report.
Nearly every state saw a decline in teen births from 2007 to 2010, with the biggest drop in Arizona at 29 percent. Rates stayed about the same in three states: Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously reported that U.S. births by mothers of all ages had dropped in 2010 for the third straight year. Experts think the economy is a factor.
State list with the rate per 1,000 teenage girls:
- 1. Mississippi 55
- 2. New Mexico 52.9
- 3. Arkansas 52.5
- 4. Texas 52.2
- 5.Oklahoma 50.4
- 6. Louisiana 47.7
- 7. Kentucky 46.2
- 8. West Virginia 44.8
- 9. Alabama 43.6
- 10. Tennessee 43.2