See data: Louisiana moms getting older
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The average age of Louisiana moms is creeping up, according to provisional CDC data, following a national trend.
Why it matters: The shift is thanks to reliable birth control and fertility treatments that allow potential parents to delay parenthood.
By the numbers: Louisiana moms are averaging 28.2 years of age when they give birth, CDC data shows, which is just below the national average of 29.7.
The big picture: Many hopeful parents today, especially those over 35, can have babies through medical advancements that recently seemed like science fiction.
- Since the first IVF baby was born nearly 50 years ago, we've made big breakthroughs in understanding and treating infertility — and giving people options if they choose to delay parenthood.
- Egg freezing, in-vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination and even uterine transplants have become more common.
- Plus, we have a better understanding of how lifestyle affects fertility in both men and women.
"Fertility declines with age, but 35 is not a cliff by any stretch," Emily Oster, an economist and bestselling author of pregnancy and parenting books, tells us.
- Still, getting pregnant at an "advanced maternal age" isn't always easy, and new fertility technology can't overcome all infertility issues.
What we're watching: It remains unclear whether IVF access will be affected by recent reproductive health funding cuts and legislative battles.
- Louisiana IVF clinics have worked for decades around an embryo destruction ban, and now state lawmakers are considering IVF protections that some hope can avoid the kind of legal definition confusion that caused Alabama's clinics to shut down last year, the Louisiana Illuminator reports.