The news that the under-18 birth rate in Kenosha County rose last year for the first time in 10 years is a cause for concern.
   Teen pregnancies are recognized as a serious social and medical problem, so the decade of declines in the under-18 birth rate has been a welcome sign that things are improving for young people. The under-18 birth rate in Kenosha County has still been higher than in most counties in Wisconsin, even if the rate was declining. The other disconcerting factor is that no one knew exactly what was working as far as convincing young people to avoid pregnancy.
   A lot of different programs have been tried in the last 10 years. One of the explanations offered over the years of decline was that teenagers were afraid of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, which would be a sign that education is working. Another explanation, offered in connection with the decline in pregnancies and drug use, was that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 had “a sobering influence on young people.” That’s not a program anyone wants to repeat. However, the declining birth rate was encouraging to everyone who was concerned about it, even though no one knew which programs were really effective and which weren’t. Sometimes it seemed as though the effort alone might have some good effect.
   And perhaps it did, but something didn’t work as well in 2004. A one-year rise in the birth rate may be a simple glitch. Perhaps the long-term trend will reassert itself when the numbers for 2005 are counted. But it is something to be concerned about.
   Government statisticians say that teen pregnancies tend to be riskier for the baby than adult pregnancies and they sometimes result in diminished opportunities for the mother. When former governor Tommy Thompson was still secretary of Health and Human Services, he said that research showed that when teens postpone parenthood, they improve their lives and the lives of their children. He mentioned that at a time when the statistics showed progress.
   We also need to keep it in mind when the statistics tell us we’re losing ground. The report last week is a warning sign.