Tiny Miracles Born Out Of Tragedy

[by Richard Eastman, in Online Genealogy Newsletter 6/23/2002]

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2002 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author.

Here is a bit of trivia for those of you who watch census numbers: this summer will see an increase in the number of babies born in the United States. In fact, pediatricians expect more children to be born in July and August of this year than in the same months of any previous year. Obstetricians are already booked, and prenatal classes are full across the nation. The reason? September 11, 2001.

Doctors speculate that after the terrorist attacks, couples who were considering starting a family decided not to wait."People experienced a lot of emotional trauma after September 11," according to Dr. Rothman, an obstetrician at Physicians for Women in Alexandria, Virginia. "They didn't go to movies. Parties were canceled. They didn't go out of town for trips. Many people decided not to wait any longer to have a baby. Obviously things happen when you stay at home." Dr. Rothman also said, "In our own private practice, we have seen an increase of about 15 to 20 percent a month," he said.

"What happens with a traumatic event is people take stock of their own lives," said Dr. Cynthia Cohen, a psychiatrist at Inova Fairfax Hospital. "There was a general introspection that happened after September 11. By getting people to focus on death, it helps them to focus on life."