Fox News Senior Medical Analyst Marc Siegel made some eyebrow-raising comments lamenting that birth rates are down among teenagers aged 15 to 19.

On Thursday, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that the U.S. fertility rate fell to another record low. The agency reported that the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age declined from 53.8 in 2024 to 53.1 last year. The latest figure represents a continuation of a decades-long decline in fertility rates.

Siegel joined Friday’s edition of America’s Newsroom, where Dana Perino said that while the continuing trend is not surprising, “the numbers might feel a little shocking.”

The doctor replied:

Absolutely. We still have 3.6 million births a year. But the problem is teens and young adults from ages 15 to 19 – the fertility rate is down seven percent, and it’s down 70% over the last two decades, meaning we’re telling people that are young not to have babies, to wait until they’re in a more stable life situation ’til they’re more financially secure. Maybe they haven’t found the right partner.

Last year, nearly 126,000 babies were born to mothers between the ages of 15 and 19. The age group’s birth rate was 11.7 births per 1,000 females. In 1991, the rate among that age demographic was 61.8 births per 1,000.

Depending on the state, the age of consent is between 16 and 18, though some exceptions may apply, such as when underage teens are close in age.

“Dana, people are having kids in their 30s now, not their 20s,” Siegel continued. “And again, that’s leading to one thing I want to point out. The replacement rate is down to 1.56, meaning every couple is having, on average, 1.56 children in the United States. We need two or above to keep the population at the same amount.”

Watch above via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!