Falling birthrate is a problem for this Tulare hospital
TULARE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The labor and delivery department at Adventist Health Tulare will close on June 6 due to what hospital officials say is falling demand for childbirth services – one part of a dramatic fall in the number of births in California over the past 30 years.
The issue faced by Adventist Health Tulare mirrors a similar closure elsewhere in the Central Valley at the end of last year. Community Medical Centers chose to shut its Pediatric Intensive Care Unit inside Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center “due to low pediatric patient volumes in that unit” but will continue to treat pediatric ICU-level patients in their other ICUs.
The impact of a plunging birth rate is not just felt in Central California: YourCentralValley.com‘s sister station Fox5SanDiego.com reported earlier this month that Scripps Health is planning to dissolve its obstetrics unit in Chula Vista to help relieve the burden on its emergency department. That followed a decision in July by nearby Tri-City Medical Center to suspend women and newborn services due to it being financially unsustainable. At the time, the center was delivering less than one baby per day on average.
Statewide, the figures show the number of births in California is falling substantially. In 1992, the number of births occurring in California was registered at 602,037 (that is all births, regardless of whether or not the child’s parents were California residents). 30 years later, the number of births in California in 2022 was registered at 420,393 – a difference of 181,644 fewer children born. Adventist Health Tulare specifically referenced the falling birth rate in their statement to YourCentralValley.com, revealing that “the number of deliveries has substantially declined over the last two years.”
Statewide birth numbers available on California’s open data portal showing the number of children born in California can be seen in the graph below.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) cites several reasons why the number of births has fallen, including economic downturns and uncertainty (the graph above shows a steady rise from 1998 until 2008 - followed by a sharp drop). The PPIC also suggests the changing status of women and the drop in the number of marriages as factors as well.
According to Adventist Health Tulare, the labor and delivery department there will remain open and staffed until June 6, and the emergency care needs of maternal patients can be handled in their ER department. For delivery, patients would be transferred to the nearest labor and delivery department.
