Can We Spark a Baby Boom?
As a recently married 24-year-old who is expecting his first child, I took particular interest in Leonard Lopoo's op-ed 'How to Make American Babies Again' (April 30). His suggestion that we subsidize IVF to increase the birthrate strikes me as another band-aid solution, much like the 'baby bonuses' he argues against. Why do our solutions to the declining birthrate have to come from such exogenous forces as the federal government and medical insurers? The birthrate would enjoy a noticeable uptick if we ceased thinking about having children in terms of the balance in our bank accounts. We would much sooner reach replacement level if we viewed the procreation and education of offspring with one's spouse as one of the highest privileges and most meaningful endeavors life has to offer—no matter the cost.
John Dosen
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