Birth rate to Cleveland teens remains steady

While the annual birth rate to Cleveland teens per 1,000 teens age 15 to 19 remains steady, these births reflect about 2 in every 11 live births.

From 2003 to 2007, the number of live births to Cleveland mothers of all ages has remained fairly steady, ranging from a high of 6,712 in 2006 to a low of 6,226 in 2007. Sixty-one percent were Black/African American (non-Hispanic), 36% white non-Hispanic, and 13% Hispanic.

The report is available at this link.

Trends among teens

The report from the Cleveland Department of Public Health notes that between 2003 and 2004, there was a large drop in the population birth rate to teens, where the rate dropped from 80.7 births per 1,000 teen females to 69.3 live births per teen females (age 15 to 19 years). But this rate stayed flat through 2007.

In the last eight years, almost two in every eleven (between 18.1% and 19.4%) of births in Cleveland are to teens,  and that this percentage has remained steady.

Taken together, the trend of teen births in Cleveland has appeared to remain fairly steady since 2003.

MomsFirst outreach to moms at-risk

The report includes a description of the MomsFirst Program at CDPH that works to reduce poor birth outcomes among expectant mothers, especially teens in Cleveland Metropolitan and charter schools. Information on MomsFirst and accessing their services can be found at this link.