The U.S. fertility rate dropped to its lowest recorded point in 2024, with fewer than 1.6 children per woman, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The statistic marks a continuation of a nearly two-decade-long trend in declining birth rates, one that has shifted the United States closer to the demographic profile of Western European countries.

For context, a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is considered the “replacement level,” the point at which a generation can, theoretically, replace itself. The U.S. hovered near that threshold until the late 2000s. But since then, it has slipped steadily, and 2024’s rate of 1.599 puts it well below what’s needed for generational stability without immigration.

Behind the numbers are real-world pressures shaping family planning decisions. Today’s young adults are marrying later, starting families later—or opting out entirely. Financial uncertainty plays a significant role.

“People are concerned about whether they can afford to have children—not just the cost of childbirth, but long-term needs like childcare, housing, and health insurance,” said Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina. “Worry is not a good moment to have kids.”

The cost of raising a child in the U.S. has climbed steadily, outpacing wage growth in many parts of the country. And while millennials and Gen Z have higher educational attainment than previous generations, they also carry more debt, face steeper housing markets, and often work in jobs with fewer benefits.

The Long Arc of Decline

To understand the drop in fertility, it's important to zoom out. In the early 1960s, during the postwar baby boom, the U.S. total fertility rate peaked around 3.5. But by the mid-1970s, it had plummeted to 1.7, largely due to the availability of birth control, changing gender roles, and cultural shifts around family size.

There was a brief rebound in the early 2000s, with the rate rising to 2.1 in 2007. But the 2008 financial crisis triggered another sharp downturn—and the recovery in births never quite came.

According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the fertility rate in 2023 was 1.621, before dipping further to 1.599 in 2024.

Why Is Trump Administration’s Pushing to Reverse the Trend?

Concerned about declining birth rates, the Trump administration has recently taken steps to try to stimulate family formation. These include:

• An executive order aimed at expanding and reducing the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Public endorsements of “baby bonus” incentives, which would provide financial rewards to couples who have children

However, experts remain skeptical of these measures. "These are largely symbolic moves,” said Guzzo. “They don’t address the real obstacles facing families, like paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and housing affordability. Until those are on the table, you’re not going to see a meaningful change.”

While the overall fertility rate declined, total births actually rose in 2024. According to the CDC’s finalized data, there were about 33,000 more births than the previous year, bringing the annual total to just over 3.6 million babies.

This may seem contradictory at first glance. But demographers say it makes sense once you factor in changes in population estimates.

The U.S. Census Bureau updated its estimates for the number of women of childbearing age. The increase in this demographic—largely driven by immigration offset small increases in births in certain age groups, leading to a recalculated (and lower) birth rate.

Initial projections earlier in 2024 suggested that women in their late 20s and 30s were having more children. But the updated report, based on a more complete dataset, found:

• Declines in birth rates for women in their 20s and early 30s
• No significant change for women in their late 30s

So while there may have been slightly more babies born, the pool of women able to give birth also grew—especially due to immigrant populations—pulling the overall fertility rate downward.

Should We Be Alarmed?

Not necessarily. Unlike countries like Japan or Italy, where shrinking populations are already straining healthcare systems and economies, the U.S. population is still growing, thanks largely to immigration. And while birth rates are falling, experts emphasize that this is often a delay, not an outright decision never to have children.

“What we’re seeing is people having kids later, not necessarily choosing not to have them at all,” said Root. “The U.S. still has a natural increase—more births than deaths.”

That said, the economic and policy environments matter. In countries like Sweden and France, which offer strong parental leave policies and subsidized childcare, birth rates have remained more stable despite similar social trends.

As debates about immigration and population policy heat up, the fertility rate is increasingly seen as more than just a demographic metric—it’s a political one.

A sustained drop below replacement level, without compensatory immigration, could eventually lead to workforce shortages, strains on entitlement programs, and broader economic shifts. But solutions, experts argue, will require more than one-time bonuses or headline-grabbing executive orders.

If the U.S. wants to encourage family formation, it will need to invest meaningfully in family support systems: paid leave, healthcare, housing, education, and affordable childcare. Otherwise, the gap between ideal family size and actual fertility will continue to widen.

The drop to a 1.599 fertility rate in 2024 is a milestone but not an emergency. It's a reflection of changing cultural, economic, and personal dynamics in American life. Addressing it will require real policy innovation, not just political talking points.

For now, Americans are still having children, just on their own timeline, and often with more questions than confidence.

A disease that can strip somebody of their memories, the way they think, even their core beliefs and personality, Alzheimer’s affect millions of people throughout the world. It is estimated to affect 6 million Americans by the US National Institute of Aging, most of whom are older than 65 or older. While treatment for Alzheimer's does exist, they usually treat the symptoms as there is no cure.

However, a new study suggests that insulin delivered through a nasal spray could be a future treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that this insulin effectively reached important memory parts of the brain in a small group of older adults. Their findings were published on July 23 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.

Why Insulin for Alzheimer's?

Scientists are looking at insulin as a possible way to treat Alzheimer's because it's thought to improve brain activity. It's already known that insulin resistance (when the body doesn't respond well to insulin) is a risk factor for Alzheimer's. However, past research struggled to confirm if insulin given through the nose actually made it to the right places in the brain.

Direct Path to the Brain

They used brain scans to show that insulin given through the nose traveled to 11 key brain areas. These areas are important for memory and thinking. An interesting discovery was that people who were just starting to show signs of memory problems absorbed the insulin differently than others.

A lead researcher explained that this study fills a big gap in our understanding of how insulin given through the nose reaches the brain. This person also noted that finding different absorption rates in people with early memory issues was a surprise. This means scientists are no longer guessing; they now have a clear path or "roadmap" directly to the brain.

How the Study Was Done and What It Found

Researchers used brain scans on 16 older adults, who were about 72 years old on average. Seven of them had normal thinking skills, and nine had mild memory problems. All of them used the insulin nasal spray, and they said it was easy to use.

The scans clearly showed that insulin levels went up in important memory and thinking parts of the brain, like the hippocampus (which helps with memory), the amygdala (involved in emotions and memory), and other brain regions.

The study also found that people with healthy brains absorbed more insulin compared to those with mild memory issues. For women in the study, better heart health seemed to lead to better insulin absorption in the brain. On the other hand, individuals who had higher levels of a substance called amyloid beta (which is a sign of increased Alzheimer's risk) absorbed less insulin in many parts of their brain.

Only two people mentioned minor headaches after using the spray and getting their scan, which suggests the treatment is generally well-tolerated and doesn't cause many side effects.

Future Steps and Hope for Treatments

A lead researcher pointed out that one of the biggest challenges in treating brain diseases is getting medications to actually enter the brain. This study proves that they can now reliably check if nasal spray systems are delivering the medicine effectively. This is a very important step before they can start larger trials to test the treatment's effectiveness.

The findings also help explain why some patients might respond better to insulin given through the nose than others. The researcher stressed that there is an urgent need to find effective and easy ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer's. These results mean scientists now have the tools to confirm if treatments are reaching their intended brain targets, which is vital for designing successful studies.

The research team plans to conduct bigger studies within the next one to two years. They want to investigate other factors that might affect how insulin gets to the brain, such as the health of blood vessels, the presence of amyloid beta clumps, and differences between men and women. The researcher concluded by saying that while there's still a lot to learn, these findings are promising for creating more effective and easy-to-use treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

‘Fight through cancer’, ‘you can’t let cancer kick you down’ are things survivors and people who have had recent cancer diagnosis. While it is a good sentiment, one must understand that cancer is difficult a difficult process to go through. However, this young college student did not let this stop her.

LaShae Rolle, a 27-year-old competitive powerlifter, can squat a massive 441 pounds, bench press 292 pounds, and deadlift 497 pounds. Last year, breast cancer threatened her dreams of competing against the best. But Rolle didn't let it stop her. She powered through her cancer treatment, maintaining an intense strength training program all along. And then, she wrote a study about her experience.

Lifting Through Treatment

Rolle, who is studying public health sciences at the University of Miami, became the subject of her own unique study. She documented her journey of elite-level strength training while undergoing chemotherapy, a mastectomy (breast removal surgery), and radiation.

Her study, published in the journal Lifestyle Medicine, challenges the common belief that cancer patients should only do low or moderate exercise. Rolle explained that strength training was key to her identity as an athlete and researcher. During her cancer journey, it helped her feel connected to herself and in control of her body and mind.

By the end of her treatment, Rolle had managed to keep almost all the strength she had before her cancer diagnosis. She proudly stated that she kept going, adapting her workouts around her chemotherapy cycles to train safely. This physical activity gave her a sense of normalcy when everything else felt uncertain.

Why This Research Matters

Previous studies have shown that moderate exercise can help cancer patients by reducing tiredness, improving physical ability, and easing treatment side effects. However, that research usually focused on average people doing regular workouts, not elite athletes trying to maintain high-intensity efforts during treatment.

In the Miller School of Medicine news release, Tracy Crane, a director at the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Rolle's mentor, emphasized that Rolle's story is a powerful reminder that recovery from cancer isn't just about getting better; it's about regaining strength, identity, and purpose. She added that Rolle's commitment to powerlifting shows how movement can be a way to heal, empower, and advocate for oneself.

Rolle's Training Plan and Impressive Results

Rolle was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer in 2024. Her cancer was fueled by female hormones, and she didn't have a genetic link to the disease. Her colleagues at the University of Miami helped her create a strength training plan that fit around her chemotherapy schedule:

• High-intensity days were planned before her chemo sessions, focusing on squats, bench press, and deadlifts.
• Moderate days between chemo cycles included exercises like rows and shoulder presses.
• Recovery days immediately after chemo involved light movement and therapy.

By the end of her treatment, Rolle had retained an incredible 93% of her squat strength and 87% of her bench press and deadlift strength. These are remarkable numbers for someone going through chemotherapy. Rolle kept herself accountable by documenting everything with videos and in a training diary, which reminded her of her ongoing strength. She expressed amazement looking back at videos of herself lifting over 400 pounds while on chemotherapy.

Researchers note that these specific findings mainly apply to elite athletes who already have a background in high-intensity training, rather than the average cancer patient. However, Rolle believes her study highlights the importance of creating treatment plans tailored to each patient's needs. She is motivated to continue lifting and to advocate for evidence-based exercise as a key part of cancer care.

Grieving is different for everyone; some people grieve in private, while others grieve by sharing their love and stories with others. It is a natural process one goes through after a loss. While you are eventually expected to move on and find peace with the absence, it isn’t easy for many. Some people grieve for years and others spend their lifetimes looking for peace after the loss.

A new study reveals that people experiencing very strong grief after losing a loved one are almost twice as likely to die within ten years of that loss. This means their chances of dying early increase by 88%.

Long-Term Impact of Grief

The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, looked at how grief affects people over a decade. It found that those with consistently high levels of grief in the first few years after a loss were not only more likely to die sooner but also:

• Nearly three times more likely to get mental health care, like talk therapy.
• Over five times more likely to be prescribed antidepressants.
• More than twice as likely to be given sedatives or anti-anxiety medications.

Researchers followed over 1,700 grieving men and women in Denmark. Their average age was 62. Most of them (66%) had lost their partner, 27% had lost a parent, and 7% had lost another close person.

Participants answered questions about their grief levels over the first three years after their loss. The study found that about 6% of people had very high grief that didn't lessen over time. In contrast, 38% had consistently low grief, and 47% experienced strong or moderate grief at first, which then slowly decreased.

How Does Grief Imapct Our Body?

According to the US National Institute of Aging, grief can affect you both physically and emotionally. As time goes by, you'll still miss your loved one, but for most people, the intense pain will slowly fade. You'll have good days and bad days. It's important to remember that feeling surprised or even guilty for laughing or enjoying time with friends is a common part of the grieving process. It's common to cry easily and experience things like:

• Trouble sleeping
• Lack of interest in food
• Difficulty concentrating
• Problems making decisions

Why Does Intense Grief Affect Mortality?

While the study clearly shows a link between strong, ongoing grief and an increased risk of early death, researchers aren't entirely sure why. Researchers mentioned that past research found connections between high grief and higher rates of heart disease, mental health problems, and even suicide, but more investigation is needed into the link with early death.

However, the study did offer a clue: people in the "high grief" group were more likely to have prescriptions for mental health conditions even before their loved one passed away. This suggests they might have been more emotionally vulnerable, making the loss even harder to cope with. They explained that these individuals also generally had less education.

What Does Intense Grief Mean?

It's normal to feel sad, numb, or lost for a while after a death. However, for some, grief can become so long-lasting or distressing that it turns into something unhealthy, known as complicated grief. People with this condition might struggle to understand or accept the loss, experience intense and ongoing sadness, and find it hard to get back to their daily life or plan for the future. Other signs include being overwhelmed by negative emotions, constantly thinking about the person who died or how they died, and feeling a lack of meaning or purpose in life.

Identifying Those at Risk

Complicated grief is a serious condition that may require extra help. If your sadness is making it difficult to live your daily life, please know that help is available. You can reach out to a support group, a mental health professional, or trusted loved ones. If cost is a concern, ask your doctor or healthcare provider about local programs or professionals who offer affordable or free help.

Doctors might be able to identify people at risk for severe and prolonged grief by looking for previous signs of depression or other serious mental health conditions. If a doctor spots these signs, they can offer specific support, such as tailored follow-up appointments, referrals to therapists, or dedicated grief counseling. This proactive approach could help those most vulnerable navigate their grief and potentially improve their long-term health outcomes.