Local Births Mirror Nation

Elgin continued to follow a national trend in 2005 as Sherman Hospital delivered the largest percentage of Hispanic babies in its history.

Of 2,429 babies born at Sherman so far this year, 58.2 percent were Hispanic, a hospital spokesman said. That compares with 56.1 percent in 2004 and 55.3 percent in 2003.

“The direction is up,” spokesman Josh McColough said.

The news is not unexpected. Nationally, the birth rate among Hispanics traditionally has stayed above that of other ethnic groups.

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Nationally, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected data that mirrors the evolution of Sherman’s numbers. According to the CDC, Hispanics have maintained a higher birth rate than other ethnic groups over the past several years.

In 2003 and 2004, for example, 22.9 Hispanic babies were born for every 1,000 Hispanic people.

That compares to a birth rate of 11.7 babies per 1,000 Caucasians in 2004 and 11.8 babies in 2003. There were 15.1 black babies born for every 1,000 black people in 2004 and 15.9 in 2003.

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