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The Iraq Baby Boom
by James Palmer, Washington TimesIt's the good kind of a "baby boom." In the face of relentless violence, political chaos, economic uncertainty and nightly curfews, Iraq's maternity wards are experiencing an unlikely baby boom. Despite the obstacles, the birthrate in Iraq actually has increased since the U.S.-led invasion 43 months ago, according to the country's Health Ministry. The rate of births in the country has jumped from 29 births per 1,000 people in 2003 to 37 per 1,000 last year, according to government figures. In neighboring Iran, the birthrate is half that -- 21 per 1,000 population, while the average birthrate in the Middle East is 25, according to the World Bank. The birthrate in the United States is about 14 births per 1,000 people, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a good sign. It is sometimes said that babies are God's judgment that the world should continue. It's also an indicator of parental optimism--peoples who don't think there's anything in the future worth living for (*cough* Old Europe *cough*) don't have babies. It would seem there are a lot of people in Iraq who believe things are going to get better. Posted by: Mike 2006-11-02 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=170581 |