THE rate of pregnancy among mothers aged 40 or over in England and Wales has risen by more than 40% since 1990.
But the number of teenage pregnancies fell between 1999 and 2000.
Government figures show the conception rate fell from 62.9 to 62.2 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19.
But conceptions to girls under 16 rose in England, from 8.2 per 1,000 girls to 8.3, between 1999 and 2000.
Overall, fewer women are becoming pregnant, although conception rates for older women have risen and rates for women in their 20s have generally fallen.
The conception rate in England and Wales for 2000 fell 1.4%, to 70.9 per 1,000 women, from 71.9 in 1999.
For girls under 18 the pregnancy rate was down 2.5% between 1999 and 2000.
