The old rhyme about love and marriage leading to the baby carriage isn't so true anymore. Now, the baby often precedes the marriage, the marriage might not happen, or it may be a short-lived union — all of which spells trouble for children, experts say.
New federal data showing a record high number of babies — 1.5 million — born last year to unwed mothers, with more of them in their 20s, has sparked concern about what the trend means for child well-being.
"It's really unfair to children," says David Popenoe, sociologist and co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University. "It means more children are going to grow up without mothers and fathers."
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics found the unwed moms were more likely to be twentysomethings than teenagers: 55% of births for those ages 20-24 were to unwed mothers; almost 28% for ages 25-29. In just two years — 2002 to 2004 — births to unwed mothers ages 25-29 jumped more than 14%, and 7% over the same period for the younger twentysomething mothers. Teens accounted for 50% of unwed births in 1970 but only 24% in 2004.
USA TODAY
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